THE  LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 


THE  COLLECTION  OF 
NORTH  CAROLINIANA 

ENDOWED  BY 

JOHN  SPRUNT  HILL 

CLASS  OF  1889 


VC970.03 
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CATHARINE    BROWN, 


ehrCstfan    Ktftfan 


CHEROKEE    NATION. 


BY  RUFUS  ANDERSON,  A.  M. 

Assistaiit  Secretary  of  the  American  Board  of  Commissioners 
for  Foreign  Missions. 


BOSTON: 

SAMUEL   T.   ARMSTRONG,  AND    CROCKER  AND  BREWSTER. 

NEW  JORK:   JOHN   P.  HAVEN. 

1825. 


DISTRICT  OF  MASSACHUSETTS,  to  wit: 
District  Clerk's  Office. 
BE  IT  REMEMBERED,  that  on  the  twentieth  day  of  December, 
A.D.  1824,  in  the  forty-ninth  year  of  the  Independence  of  the  United 
Stares  of  America,  Samuel  T.  Armstrong,  of  the  said  District,  has 
deposited  in  this  office  the  title  of  a  book,  the  right  whereof  he  claims 
as  Proprietor,  in  the  words  following,  to  wit: 

"Memoir  of  Catharine  Brown,  a  Christian  Indian  of  the  Cherokee 
nation.  By  Rufus  Anderson,  A.  M,  Assistant  Secretary  of  the 
American  Board  of  Commissioners  for  Foreign  Missions." 

In  Conformity  to  the  Act  of  the  Congress  of  the  United  States, 
intitled,  "An  act  for  the  encouragement  of  learning,  by  securing  the 
copies  of  maps,  charts  and  books,  to  the  authors  and  proprietors  of 
such  copies,  during  the  times  therein  mentioned;"  and  also  to  an  act, 
intitled,  "An  act  supplementary  to  an  act,  intitled,  An  act  for  the 
encouragement  of  learning,  by  securing  the  copies  of  maps,  charts 
and  books,  to  the  authors  and  proprietors  of  such  copies  during  the 
times  therein  mentioned;  and  extending  the  benefits  thereof  to  the 
arts  of  designing,  engraving  and  etching  historical,  and  oth>  r  prints." 

.IKO.  W.  DAVIS, 
Clerk  of  the  District  of  Massachusetts. 


mm 


This  Memoir  was  commenced  as  a 
biographical  article  for  the  Mission- 
ary Herald.  In  its  progress,  however, 
the  materials  were  found  to  be  so 
abundant,  as  to  suggest  the  inquiry 
whether  a  distinct  publication  were 
not  expedient. 

Such  a  publication  being  advised, 
by  the  Prudential  Committee  of  the 
Board  of  Missions,  it  is  now  respect- 
fully offered  to  those  who  feel  inter- 
ested in  the  success  of  missionary 
efforts. 

The  author  is  not  conscious  of  hav- 
ing exaggerated  a  single  fact,  nor  of 


IV  PREFACE. 

having  made  a  single  statement  not 
drawn  from  authentic  documents.  His 
object  has  been  to  give  a  plain  and  true 
exhibition  of  the  life  and  character  of 
a  very  interesting  convert  from  hea- 
thenism. 

The  hope  is  cherished,  that  this 
little  volume  will  augment  the  courage, 
animate  the  zeal,  and  invigorate  the 
efforts,  of  the  friends  of  missions,  in 
their  benevolent  attempts  to  send  the 
Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  to  all  nations. 

Missionary  Booms, 

Boston,  Mass.  Dec.  1824. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

HER     HISTORY     UNTIL     SHE    ENTERED     THE 
MISSION    SCHOOL   AT   BRAINERD. 

Her  nativity. — Notice  of  her  parents. — Igno- 
rance of  her  people. — Her  triumph  over 
temptation. — A  missionary  station  commenc- 
ed at  Chickamaugah,  and  named  Brainerd. 
— She  becomes  a  member  of  the  school,     - 

CHAPTER  II. 

FROM  HER  ENTERING  THE  SCHOOL  AT 
BRAINERD,  UNTIL  HER  REMOVAL  ET  HER 
PARENTS. 

Her  appearance  when  she  entered  the  school. 
— Her  diligence  and  progress. — Her  relig- 
ious knowledge. — Character  of  her  teachers, 


'1  CONTENTS . 

— Her  conversion,  and  solicitude  for  her  peo- 
ple.— Instance  of  earnest  prayer. — Prospect 
of  her  removal. — Her  baptism. — Temporary 
absence. — Admission  to  the  church. — The 
early  success  at  Brainerd  uncommon. — The 
chief  obstacles  to  success  among  the  Indians. 
— Visit  of  the  Treasurer  of  the  American 
Board. — His  account  of  the  school,  and 
description  of  Catharine. — She  is  removed 
from   Brainerd. — Is  visited   by   one  of  the 

missionaries. Letters     from    her    to     her 

friends,       -------       19 


CHAPTER  III. 

FROM  HER  RETURN  TO  BRAINERD,  UNTIL 
SHE  TAKES  CHARGE  OE  A  SCHOOL  AT 
CREEK-PATH. 

Benefits  resulting  from  her  being  taken  from 

the  school. Her  return. Letters Her 

brother  David  a  member  of  the  school. — His 
conversion. — Catharine  and  David  visit  their 
sick  father. — A  school  established  near  Mr. 
Brown's. — Account  of  John  Arch. — Efforts 
of  Catharine  and  David  at  Brainerd, — The 
latter  goes  to  New=-England, — His  subsequent 
history. — A  female  teacher  wanted  at  Creek- 
Path. — Catharine  undertakes  this  service. — 
Letters,      -------      50 


CONTENTS .  Til 

CHAPTER  IV. 

FROM  HER  TAKING  CHARGE  OE  A  SCHOOL  AT 
CREEK-PATH,   UNTIL    HER    SICKNESS. 

Extracts  from  her  diary. — Her  school. — Con- 
version of  her  parents,  and  others  of  the 
family. — She  and  her  family  visit  Brainerd. 
— Letter  from  the  chiefs  at  Creek-Path. — 
Traits  in  Catharine's  character. — Further 
extracts  from  her  diary. — Eulogium  of  her 
brother  John. — She  visits  Huntsville. — Esti- 
mation in  which  she  was  there  held. — Goes 
to  reside  with  her  parents. — Apprehensions 
respecting  her  health. — Goes  to  Brainerd  for 
medical  aid. — Returns. — Letters  to  different 
friends,       .-----.-      77 


CHAPTER 

HER    SICKNESS    AND   DEATH 


V- 


Brief  agitations  of  her  mind. — Her  love  for  her 
people. — Is  visited  by  Dr.  Campbell. — Let- 
ter to  Mrs.  Campbell. — Alarming  symptom 
in  her  disease. — Her  resignation  and  conso- 
lations.— Dr.  Campbell  advises  her  removal 
to  Limestone. — State  of  her  mind  at  this 
time. — Strong  manifestations  of  affection  for 
her  at  Creek-Path. — Account  of  her  removal. 
— Temporary  improvement  in  her  health. — 


7111  CONTENTS. 

Dictates  a  letter  to  her  brother  David. — 
Hopes  of  her  recovery  relinquished. — This 
fact  stated  to  her  father  and  herself. — Her 
last  hours,  death,  and  burial. — Monument 
over  her  grave,         -----     126 


CHAPTER  VI. 

HER   CHARACTER. 

Her  mental  characteristics. — Her  attainments 
in  intellectual  and  moral  science. — Changes 
in  her  affections. — Her  Christian  conduct. — 

conclusion. The     excellencies     in    her 

character  a  result  of  missionary  labour. — 
How  much  can  be  made  of  the  Indian 
character. — Grounds  of  encouragement. — 
Importance  of  present  efforts. — Civilization 
never  precedes  Christianity. — The  life  of 
Catharine  an  appeal  to  the  community.      -      150 


MEMOIR 

OF 

CATHARINE    BROWN 


CHAPTER     I. 

HER    HISTORY    UNTIL    SHE    ENTERED     THE     MISSION 
SCHOOL    AT    BRAINERD. 

Her  nativity. — Notice  of  her  parents. — Condi- 
tion of  her  people. — Her  triumph  over  temp- 
tation.— A  missionary  station  commenced  at 
Chickamaugah)  and  named  Brainerd. — She 
becomes  a   member  of  the  school. 

Catharine  Brown  was  born  about  the  year 
1800,  The  place  of  her  nativity  was  a  beau- 
tiful plain,  covered  with  tall  forest  trees,  in  a 
part  of  the  country  belonging  to  the  Chero- 
kee Indians,  which  is  now  called  Wills- Valley, 
and  is  within  the  chartered  limits  of  the  State 


10  MEMOIR    OF 

of  Alabama.  It  is  between  the  Raccoon  and 
Lookout  mountains,  twenty-five  miles  south- 
east of  the  Tennessee  river.  David,  the 
brother  of  Catharine,  says,  that  the  name,  by 
which  the  place  is  known  among  his  country- 
men, is  Tsu-sau-ya-sah,  or  the  ruins  of  a  great 
city.  But,  if  such  ruins  ever  existed,  all  traces 
of  them  have  long  since  disappeared. 

The  Indian  name  of  Catharine's  father,  is 
Yau-nu-gung-yah-ski,  which  signifies  the  drown- 
ed by  a  bear.  He  is,  however,  known  among 
the  whites  by  the  name  of  John  Brown.  The 
Cherokee  name  of  her  mother  is  Tsa-luh.  The 
whites  call  her  Sarah. — Neither  of  Catharine's 
parents  understand  the  English  language. 
They  are  now  about  sixty  years  of  age. 
Since  the  decease  of  the  daughter,  whose 
history  and  character  are  to  form  the  subject 
of  this  memoir,  they  have  removed  beyond 
the  Mississippi  river,  to  the  Arkansas  Terri- 
tory, whither  a  part  of  the  Cherokee  nation 
of  Indians  have  emigrated,  within  the  last 
fifteen  or  twenty  years.* 

*  A  more  particular  account  of  the  family  of  Catharine,  may 
be  acceptable  to  the  reader. 

Mr.  John  Brown  was  the  son  of  a  man  named  Brown,  who  has 
long  been  dead.     It  is  not  known  whether  he  was  a  white  man,  or 


CATHARINE    BROWN.  11 

Mr.  Brown  is  represented  as  possessing  a 
mind  more  than  commonly  discerning-;  yet  as 
having,  when  the  missionaries  first  saw  him, 
but  tew  ideas  on  the  subject  of  religion. 
He  believed  in  a  Supreme  Being,  the  author 
of  the  visible  creation,    and  that    there    is  a 


partly  Indian.  The  mother  of  Mr.  Brown  was  a  "fuli-blooded" 
Cherokee.  So,  also,  was  the  mother  of  Mrs.  Brown;  but  her  father 
was  white.  Catharine's  parents  were  brought  up  like  others  of 
their  nation;— no  better  acquainted  with  the  language,  religion, 
manners,  or  customs  of  the  \\  hite  people, 

Mr.  Brown  has  had  thrt^  wives.  The  first  had  two  children, 
neither  of  whom  are  living.  One  of  these  children  became  a  man  of 
much  distinction.  In  the  Creek  war  he  had  the  title  of  Colonel, as 
he  commanded  a  large  number  of  Cherokees,  who  made  a  part  «f 
the  army  under  General  Jackson.  He  was  severely  wounded  at  the 
battle  of  the  Horse-shoe;  but  recovered,  and  died  subsequent!}  of  a 
fever,  or  consumption.  He  is  said  to  have  possessed  uncommon 
powers  of  mind,  and  to  have  exerted  much  influence  among  his 
people.  He  is  familiarly  referred  to  by  the  name  of  Col.  Dick 
Bro-ivn. 

The  children  of  Sarah,  the  second  and  present  wife  of  Mr.  Brown, 
were  Jo/in,  who  died  in  the  Christian  faith,  February  1822,  leaving 
a  widow,  Susannah,  who  is  a  professor  of  religion;  Catharine,  tire 
subject  of  this  memoir;  and  David,  of  whose  piety  hopes  have  been 
entertained  for  almost  five  years. 

The  children  of  the  third  wife,  named  IVottee,  or  Betsey,  who,  for 
some  years,  has  been  living  in  the  Arkansas  Territory,  are  Polly,  (or 
Mrs.  Gilbreth,)  Alexander,  Susan,  and  Edmund.  Polly  and  Susan 
are  esteemed  pious. 

Sarah  and  Betsey  lived  with  Mr.  Brown  at  the  same  time.  But 
lonu.  difficulty  arising,  the  latter  separated  from  him. 

Sarah  was  the  wife  of  a  man  named  Webber,  before  she  married 
Mr.  Brown.    The  children,  by  this  marriage,  are  Bet sey,  (now  Mrs, 


12  MEMOIR   OF 

state  of  rewards  and  punishments,  after  the 
present  life;  and  appeared  conscious,  that 
there  were  things  implied  in  this  short  creed, 
of  which  he  had  no  distinct  apprehension; 
such  as  the  character  of  the  Supreme  Being, 
the  nature  of  the  rewards   and  punishments, 


Looney,)  a  professor  of  religion,  and  Walter,  called  Col.  Webber.  He 
was  at  Washington  city,  about  two  years  since,  and  possesses  a 
handsome  property.  These  children  were  quite  young,  when  their 
father  died.    Col.  Webber  is  now  about  tliirty-five  years  old. 

It  appears,  therefore,  that  of  Mr.  Brown's  family  no  less  than  nine 
have  become  hopefally  pious,  within  the  last  seven  years,  viz.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Brown,  John,  Catharine,  David,  Polly,  Susan,  Susannah, 
and  Mrs.  Looney. 

The  reader  will  be  apt  to  infer,  when  he  sees  individuals  called 
by  names  and  title:,  with  which  he  is  familiar,  that  they  are  very 
much  like  other  individuals,  whom  he  has  known  under  similar 
titles;  in  short,  that  they  are  civilized  and  intelligent  persons.  Such 
an  inference,  however,  is  not  warranted.  The  mere  possession  of 
an  English  name,  in  an  Indian  country,  is  no  evidence  that  the  per- 
son thus  distinguished  is  able  to  speak  the  English  language;  much 
less,  that  his  habits  are  those  of  ci~ilized  life,  or  that  his  mind  has 
been  in  any  degree  cultivated. 

As  to  the  military  titles  of  captain,  major,  colonel,  and  even  gen- 
eral, they  are  conferred  as  a  matter  of  courtesy,  in  consequence  of 
some  sort  of  undefined  authority,  which  is  exercised  over  others, 
and  which  is  supposed  to  bear  some  distant  analogy  to  the  authority, 
implied  in  these  titles,  among  us.  Of  course,  the  titles  are  conferred 
by  the  whites.  In  some  instances,  vhea  Indian  auxiliaries  have 
been  employed  in  active  warfare,  by  European  governments,  or  by 
the  United  States,  individuals  may  have  received  regular  commis- 
sions. Mr.  Brown  and  his  son  John,  were  both  denominated  Cap- 
tain. 


CATHARINE    BROWN.  13 

and  the  manner  in  which  the  one  is  to  be 
obtained,  and  the  other  avoided.  He  seemed 
to  have  no  notion  of  forgiveness  of  sin  upon 
any  terms.  When  told  of  these  things,  he 
said  he  had  never  heard  of  them  before. 

Concerning  the  mother,  less  is  known  to  the 
writer  of  this  memoir.  Her  religious  knowl- 
edge, if  equal  to  that  of  her  husband,  did  not 
probably  exceed  it.  She  is  represented  as 
having  been  more  attentive  to  neatness  and 
good  order,  in  the  internal  arrangements  of 
the  family,  and  more  conversant  with  the 
duties  of  domestic  life,  than  her  countrywomen 
generally. 

Ignorant  as  were  the  parents  of  Catharine, 
on  the  most  important  subjects,  they  were 
among  the  more  intelligent  class  of  their  peo- 
ple. Till  within  a  few  years,  the  Chero- 
kees  had  scarcely  begun  to  feel  an  impulse 
towards  civilization.  Indeed,  as  a  nation,  they 
were  almost  entirely  destitute  of  the  means 
of  intellectual,  or  moral  culture.  In  a  very 
few  instances,  a  youth  was  sent  to  school  in 
the  white  settlements,  bordering  on  the  Indian 
territory;  and  still  more  rarely,  perhaps,  an 
outcast  from  civilized  society  would  undertake 


14  MEMOIR    OF 

for  a  short  time,  and  from  interested,  and 
probably  sinister  motives,  to  instruct  among 
the  natives.  In  1801,  a  Moravian  mission 
was  established  at  what  is  now  called  Spring- 
place,  and  one  or  two  excellent  men  have, 
since  that  period,  resided  there.  But,  their 
means  having  been  limited,  their  influence 
could  not  be  extensive.  Very  commendable 
exertions,  in  support  of  a  school  among  the 
Cherokees,  were  also  made,  for  a  few  years 
subsequent  to  1803,  by  the  Rev.  Gideon 
Blackburn. 

Excepting  these  efforts,  there  was,  until 
the  year  1816,  nothing  done  for  the  Chero- 
kees by  the  Christian  church,  nothing  by  the 
civilized  world.  They  inhabited  a  country, 
which  is  described  as  susceptible  of  the  high- 
est cultivation.  But  most  imperfect  was  their 
agriculture.  They  possessed  a  language,  that 
is  said  to  be  more  precise  and  powerful,  than 
any,  into  which  learning  has  poured  richness 
of  thought,  or  genius  breathed  the  enchant- 
ments of  fancy  and  eloquence.  But  they  had 
no  literature.  Not  a  book  existed  in  the  lan- 
guage. The  fountains  of  knowledge  were 
unopened.     The  mind  made  no  progress. 


CATHARLN'E    BfcOWN.  15 

After  these  statements,  the  reader  will  be 
preparer]  to  credit  what  will  be  said,  in  the 
progress  of  this  memoir,  respecting  Catha- 
rine^ intellectual  condition,  when  she  first 
came  under  the  care  of  the  missionaries." 

It  is  pleasing  to  observe  here,  that  her  mor- 
al character  was  ever  irreproachable.  This 
is  the  msre  remarkable,  considering  the  loose- 
ness of  manners  then  prevalent  among  the 
females  of  her  nation,  and  the  temptations  to 
which  she  was  exposed,  when,  during  the  war 
with  the  Creek  Indians,  the  army  of  the  Unit- 
ed States  was  stationed  near  her  father's  res- 
idence. Were  it  proper  to  narrate  some  well 
authenticated  facts,  with  reference  to  this 
part  of  her  history,  the  mind  of  the  reader 
would  be  filled  with  admiration  of  her  heroic 
virtue,  and  especially  of  the  protecting  care 
of  Providence.  Once  she  even  forsook  her 
home,  and  fled  into  the  wild  forest,  to  pre- 
serve her  character  unsullied.* 


*  "I  was  pleased  to  find,"  says  a  friend,  "that  General  Jackson, 
(who  commanded  in  the  war  with  the  Creeks,)  had  a  high  opinion 
of  Catharine.  In  the  course  of  our  conversation  he  remarked,  S!tf 
was  a  woman  of  Roman  virtue,  and  above  suspicion. ," 


16  MEMOIR    OP 

These  occurrences  took  place  before  the 
establishment  of  a  school  at  Brainerd,  while 
Catharine  was  young,  ignorant  of  the  world, 
without  any  clear  views  of  morality,  and  des- 
titute of  the  knowledge  and  love  of  God. 
Strange  that  so  great  a  sense  of  character 
should  then  have  influenced  her  resolutions! 
But  she  was  a  chosen  vessel  of  mercy,  and  a 
hand,  which  she  then  knew  not,  was  doubt- 
less extended  for  her  preservation. 

Early  in  the  autumn  of  1816,  a  missionary, 
sent  by  the  American  Board  of  Commissioners 
for  Foreign  Missions,  made  his  appearance  in 
a  general  Council  of  the  Cherokees,  and  of- 
fered to  establish  schools  among  them.  His 
offer  was  favourably  received.  After  consul- 
tation, a  principal  chief  came  forward,  took 
him  by  the  hand,  and  said:  "You  have  ap- 
peared in  our  full  Council.  We  have  listened 
to  what  you  have  said,  and  understand  it. 
We  are  glad  to  see  you.  We  wish  to  have 
the  schools  established,  and  hope  they  will  be 
of  great  advantage  to  the  nation."  This  mis- 
sionary was  the  Rev.  Cyrus  Kingsbury,  who, 
after  commencing  and  aiding  in  the  formation 
of  the  first  establishment  of  the  Board  among 


CATHARINE    BROWN-  17 

the  Cherokees,  took  up  his  residence  among 
the  Choctaws,  was  the  chief  agent  in  forming 
the  stations  of  Elliot  and  Mayhew,  and  is  now 
the  superintendent  of  the  Choctaw  mission. 

The  place  selected  for  the  first  school,  was 
then  called  Chickamaugah;  but  it  subsequent- 
ly received  the  name  of  Brainerd,  in  mem- 
ory of  David  Brainerd,  that  devoted  friend 
and  benefactor  of  the  American  Indians,  who 
stands  pre-eminent  among  modern  missiona- 
ries.* Early  in  the  following  spring,  Mr. 
Moody  Hall  and  Mr.  Loring  S.  Williams,  with 
their  wives,  arrived  as  assistant  missionaries; 
and,  soon  after  their  arrival,  a  school  was 
opened,  with  fair  prospects  of  success. 

Information  of  these  proceedings  soon 
spread  through  the  nation.  It  came  to  the 
ears  of  Catharine,  then  living  at  the  distance 
of  a  hundred  miles,  and  excited  in  her  a  de- 
sire to  attend  the  school.     She  besought  her 


*  Brainerd  is  situated  within  the  chattered  limits  of  Tennessee,  on 
the  Chickamaugah  creek;  two  miles  north  of  the  line  of  Georgia; 
seven  miles  south-east  of  Tennessee  river;  two  hundred  and  fifty 
north-west  of  Augusta  in  Geo.;  one  hundred  and  fifty  south-east  of 
Nashville,  and  one  hundred  and  ten  south-west  of  Knoxville,  both 
in  Tennessee. 


18  MEMOIR   OF 

parents  to  send  her,  and  they  granted  her  re- 
quest, Accordingly,  on  the  9th  of  July  1817, 
when  she  was  about  seventeen  or  eighteen 
years  of  age,  she  became  a  member  of  the 
missionary  school  at  Brainerd. 


CATHARINE    BROWN. 


CHAPTER    II. 

FROM     HER    ENTERING    THE  SCHOOL    AT    BRAINERD, 
UNTIL    HER    REMOVAL    EY     HER    PARENTS. 

Her  appearance,  when  she  entered  the  school. — 
Her  diligence  and  progress. — Her  religious 
knowledge. — Character  of  her  teachers. — Her 
conversion,  and  solicitude  for  her  people. — 
Instance  of  earnest  prayer — Prospect  of  her 
removal. — Her  baptism. —  Temporary  absence. 
— Admission  to  the  church. —  The  early  suc- 
cess at  Brainerd  uncommon. —  The  chief 
obstacles  to  success  among  the  Indians. — 
Visit,  of  the  Treasurer  of  the  American  Board. 
— His  accovM  of  the  school,  and  description 
of  Catharine. — She  is  removed  from  Brain- 
erd.—Is  visited  by  one  of  the  missionaries. — 
Letters  to  her  friends. 

Catharine  was  of  the  middle  stature,  erect, 
of  comely  features,  and  blooming  complexion; 
and,  even  at  this  time,  she  was  easy  in  her 


20  MEMOIR    OF 

manners,  and  modest  and  prepossessing  in 
her  demeanour. 

"It  was,  however,  manifest,"  says  Mr. 
Kingsbury,  "that,  with  all  her  gentleness  and 
apparent  modesty,  she  had  a  high  opinion  of 
herself,  and  was  fond  of  displaying  the  cloth- 
ing and  ornaments,  in  which  she  was  arrayed. 
At  our  first  interview,  I  was  impressed  with 
the  idea,  that  her  feelings  would  not  easily 
yield  to  the  discipline  of  our  schools,  espe- 
cially to  that  part  of  it,  which  requires  man- 
ual labour  of  the  scholars.  This  objection  I 
freely  stated  to  her,  and  requested  that,  if  she 
felt  any  difficulty  on  the  subject,  she  would 
seek  admission  to  some  other  school.  She 
replied,  that  she  had  no  objection  to  our  reg- 
ulations. I  advised  her  to  take  the  subject 
into  consideration,  and  to  obtain  what  infor- 
mation she  could,  relative  to  the  treatment 
of  the  scholars,  and  if  she  then  felt  a  desire 
to  become  a  member  of  the  school,  we  would 
receive  her. 

"She  joined  the  school,  and  the  event  has 
shewn,  that  it  was  of  the  Lord,  to  the  end 
that  his  name  might  be  glorified.  I  have 
often  reflected,  with  adoring  gratitude    and 


CATHARINE    BROWN.  21 

thankfulness,  on  the  good  providence,  which 
conducted  that  interesting  young  female  to 
Brainerd,  and  which  guided  her  inquiring  and 
anxious  mind  to  the  Saviour  of  sinners." 

Sometime  before  this,  it  is  not  known  pre- 
cisely how  long,  while  residing  at  the  house 
of  a  Cherokee  friend,  she  had  learned  to  speak 
the  English  language,  and  had  acquired,  also, 
a  knowledge  of  the  letters  of  the  alphabet. 
She  could  even  read  in  words  of  one  syllable. 
These  acquisitions,  which  were  of  no  par- 
ticular service  at  the  time  they  were  made, 
are  to  be  noticed  with  gratitude  to  God,  as 
the  probable  means  of  leading  her  to  Brain- 
erd. They  excited  desires,  which  she  could 
gratify  no  where  else. 

Her  teachers  declare,  that,  from  her  first 
admission  to  the  school,  she  was  attentive  to 
her  learning,  industrious  in  her  habits,  and 
remarkably  correct  in  her  deportment.  From 
reading  in  words  of  one  syllable,  she  was  able, 
in  sixty  days,  to  read  intelligibly  in  the  Bible, 
and,  in  ninety  days,  could  read  as  well  as  most 
persons  of  common  education.  After  writ- 
ing over  four  sheets  of  paper,  she  could  use 
3 


22  MEMOIR    OF 

the   pen    with  accuracy  and   neatness,   eveis 
without  a  cop}'. 

From  the  testimony  of  different  persons  it 
appears,  that,  when  she  entered  the  school, 
her  knowledge  on  religious  subjects  was  ex- 
ceedingly vague  and  defective.  Her  ideas 
of  God  extended  little  further  than  the  con- 
templation of  him  as  a  great  Being,  existing 
somewhere  in  the  sky;  and  her  conceptions 
of  a  future  state  were  quite  undefined.  Of 
the  Saviour  of  the  world,  she  had  no  knowl- 
edge. She  supposed,  that  the  Cherokees 
were  a  different  race  from  the  whites,  and 
therefore  had  no  concern  in  the  white  peo- 
ple's religion;  and  it  was  some  time  before 
she  could  be  convinced,  that  Jesus  Christ 
came  into  the  world  to  die  for  the  Cherokees. 
She  has  been  known,  also,  to  remark,  subse- 
quently to  her  conversion,  that  she  was  much 
afraid,  when  she  first  heard  of  religion;  for 
she  thought  Christians  could  have  no  pleas- 
ure in  this  world,  and  that,  if  she  became 
religious,  she  too  should  be  rendered  unhappy. 
How  much  her  opinions  and  sentiments  on 
this  subject  were,  in  a  short  time,  changed., 
will  abundantly  appear  as  we  proceed. 


CATHARINE    BROWN.  23 

That  the  reader  may  be  duly  sensible  of 
the  singleness  of  heart  and  Christian  devot- 
edness  of  the  men,  under  whose  instruction 
this  interesting  female  had  placed  herself,  he 
is  informed,  that,  not  long-  after  her  intro- 
duction to  them,  they  adopted  the  following 
resolution,  which  developes  an  economical 
principle,  carried  through  all  the  missions  to 
the  Indians,  under  the  direction  of  the  Amer- 
ican Board  of  Commissioners  for  Foreign 
Missions. — "That,  as  God  in  his  providence 
has  called  us  to  labour  in  the  great  and  good 
work  of  building  up  his  kingdom  among  the 
Aborigines  of  this  country,  a  work  peculiarly 
arduous,  and  which  will  be  attended  with 
much  expense;  and  above  all,  considering 
that  we  have  solemnly  devoted  ourselves,  and 
all  that  we  have,  to  the  prosecution  of  this 
work;  we  declare  it  to  be  our  cordial,  delib- 
erate, and  fixed  resolution,  that,  so  far  as  it 
respects  our  future  labours,  or  any  compen- 
sation for  them,  we  will  have  no  private 
interests  distinct  from  the  great  interests  of 
this  institution.  And,  that  if  it  meets  the 
views  of  the  Prudential  Committee,  we  will 
receive    no    other  compensation  for  our  ser- 


24  MEMOIR    OF 

vices,  than  a  comfortable  supply  of  food  and 
clothing  for  ourselves  and  families,  and  such 
necessary  expenses  as  our  peculiar  circum- 
stances may  require;  observing  at  all  times 
that  frugality  and  economy,  which  our  duty 
to  the  Christian  public  and  the  great  Head 
of  the  Church  demands." 

Catharine  had  been  in  the  school  but  a  very 
few  months,  before  divine  truth  began  to 
exert  an  influence  upon  her  mind.  This  was 
manifested  in  an  increased  desire  to  become 
acquainted  with  the  Christian  religion,  and  in 
a  greater  sobriety  of  manners.  A  tender- 
ness of  spirit,  moreover,  was,  at  the  same 
time,  observed  in  several  others. 

Such  was  the  state  of  things,  when  the 
Rev.  Elias  Cornelius,  then  acting  as  an  agent 
of  the  American  Board,  made  his  first  visit  to 
Brainerd.  His  conversation  and  preaching 
had  considerable  effect  on  the  Cherokees,  and 
on  the  white  people  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
the  station.  On  the  last  Sabbath  of  his 
preaching,  which  was  the  first  Sabbath  in 
November  1817,  four  persons  were  much 
affected  during  the  service,  among  whom 
was  Catharine.     It  is  proper  to  add,  that  she 


CATHARINE    BROWN. 


JS5 


did  not  seem,  at  any  time,  to  be  greatly 
influenced  by  a  fear  of  the  punishment  threat- 
ened against  sin.  Her  chief  object  of  solici- 
tude seemed  rather  to  be,  that  she  might  know 
the  will  of  God,  and  do  it.  She  appeared  to 
seek  the  kingdom  of  heaven  with  great  earn- 
estness, and  spent  much  time  in  reading  the 
Scriptures,  singing,  and  prayer,  and  was  often 
affected  to  tears.  Her  whole  deportment,  as 
a  member  of  the  mission  family,  is  repre- 
sented as  having  been  unexceptionable. 

In  December,  she  indulged  a  hope,  that 
she  had  been  pardoned  and  accepted,  through 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  And  it  is  no  small 
proof  of  the  excellent  practical  tendency  of 
her  religion,  that,  of  her  own  accord,  she 
very  soon  began  to  pray  with  her  associates, 
and  to  assist  in  teaching  the  Lord's  Prayer 
and  the  catechism  to  the  younger  girls  in  the 
school. 

The  Rev.  William  Chamberlain,  now  re- 
siding at  a  missionary  station  called  Wills- 
town,  not  far  from  the  place  of  her  nativity, 
states,  that,  after  the  interesting  period  just 
mentioned,  her  desires  for  the  salvation  of 
tier  people,  were  strong   and  ardent.     She 


26  MEMOIR    OF 

wept  and  prayed  for  them,  in  secret  places, 
as  well  as  in  the  company  of  her  female 
friends  at  their  weekly  prayer-meetings. 
Among  the  rest,  the  case  of  her  brother 
David,  then  on  the  Arkansas  river,  was 
specially  interesting.  One  morning,  having 
retired  to  the  neighbouring  woods  for  devo- 
tion, she  became  so  deeply  engaged  in  prayer 
for  this  dear  brother,  that  the  time  passed 
insensibly,  and  she  remained  in  her  sacred 
retreat  till  the  sun  was  near  setting.  She 
had  been  favoured  with  unusual  nearness  of 
access  to  her  heavenly  Father,  and  returned 
home  with  an  humble  confidence,  that  He 
would  fully  answer  her  prayers.  After  David 
had  gone  to  New  England  to  complete  his 
education,  having  previously  given  satisfac- 
tory evidence  of  piety,  she  related  these  facts 
to  a  confidential  friend,  and  said  she  wished 
to  remember  them  with  gratitude. 

Catharine  is  regarded  as  the  first,  who  was 
hopefully  converted  from  among  the  Indians, 
by  means  of  the  missionaries  sent  out  by  the 
American  Board  of  Missions.  It  may  well  be 
supposed,  therefore,  considering  her  amiable 
manners  and  promising  character,  that  she 


CATHARINE    BROWN.  27 

was  dear  to  them  all.  How  painful,  then, 
must  have  been  any  prospect  of  her  removal 
into  the  western  wilderness,  where  she  would 
behold  no  pious  example,  and  hear  no  moni- 
tory voice;  and  this,  too,  at  the  commence- 
ment of  her  Christian  career,  before  her  re- 
ligious knowledge  and  habits  were  matured. 

At  the  commencement  of  the  year  1318, 
her  father  came  to  take  her  home.  He  ex- 
pressed entire  satisfaction  with  the  treatment, 
which  she  had  received  at  the  school;  but 
said  he  contemplated  removing  beyond  the 
Mississippi,  and  wished  to  have  her  with 
him.  This  intimation  was  not  less  painful  to 
Catharine,  than  it  was  to  the  missionaries; 
but  it  came  under  circumstances,  which  seem- 
ed to  demand  an  acquiescence.  "Perhaps," 
said  her  teachers  and  spiritual  guides,  "the 
Lord  is  taking  her  from  us,  that  she  may  be 
more  useful  in  promoting  his  cause  in  some 
other  place."  We  shall  see,  ere  long,  that 
they  ultimately  found  occasion  to  give  praise 
to  God,  not  only  on  account  of  the  brief 
separation,  which  now  took  place,  but  also 
for  the  more  painful  separation,  which  hap- 
pened in  the  latter  part  of  the  same  year. 


2S  MEMOIR    OF 

Catharine  desired  to  receive,  before  her 
departure,  the  seal  of  the  covenant  of  grace, 
in  the  holy  ordinance  of  baptism.  As  no 
reasonable  doubt  could  be  entertained  of  her 
piety,  her  request  was  cheerfully  granted. 
On  the  25th  of  January,  Mr.  Kingsbury 
preached  from  Gal.  iii,  28,  on  the  fellowship 
of  those,  who  are  in  Christ,  of  whatever 
colour,  or  nation.  The  assembly  was  unusu- 
ally large  and  solemn.  After  the  sermon 
and  a  prayer,  the  sacred  ordinance  was 
administered  to  the  deeply  affected  convert. 
She  was  the  first  Indian  baptized  by  the  mis- 
sionaries of  the  Board.  This  event  occurred 
about  eight  months  after  the  opening  of  the 
school  at  Brainerd.  Since  then,  about  one 
hundred  adult  Cherokees  have  received  the 
same  ordinance,  preparatory  to  admission  to 
the  visible  church. 

The  month  of  February  was  spent  by 
Catharine  at  her  father's  house.  But,  cir- 
cumstances conspiring  to  prevent  an  immedi- 
ate execution  of  the  purpose  to  remove  to 
the  Arkansas  country,  she  was,  to  the  no 
small  satisfaction  of  herself  and  the  mission 
family,   permitted   to   revisit   Brainerd,    and 


CATHARINE    BROWN.  2§ 

continue  there  a  few  months  longer,  before 
commencing  her  undesired  journey.  While 
at  home,  she  had  been  closely  questioned, 
with  respect  to  her  religious  faith,  by  some 
irreligious  white  people.  They  endeavour- 
ed, though  in  vain,  to  perplex  her  mind,  by 
objections  against  the  Scriptures.  But  her 
parents  were  pleased,  that  she  had  learned 
so  many  good  things,  and  expressed  a  desire 
to  be  themselves  instructed. 

Her  return  furnished  an  opportunity  for 
admitting  her  to  full  communion  in  the  visible 
Church  of  Christ.  On  the  29th  of  March, 
about  two  months  after  her  baptism,  she, 
with  others,  ratified  a  solemn  covenant  with 
the  Most  High,  at  the  sacramental  table. 
Seven  of  the  communicants  were  Cherokees. 
The  assembly  was  large,  solemn  and  atten- 
tive; and  there  was  reason  to  believe,  that 
some  of  the  bystanders  had  a  great  desire  to 
be  with  the  little  company,  which  commemo- 
rated the  love  of  Jesus,  particularly  one 
negro  woman.  This  person,  being  asked 
how  she  felt  on  that  occasion,  replied,  "I  felt 
as  if  that  (meaning  the  communicants,)  was 
my  company,  and  that  they  had  left  me  alone 


30  MEMOIR    OF 

in  the  wicked  world."  "Our  red  brethren 
and  sisters,"  say  the  missionaries,  ''declared, 
that  their  joys,  while  at  the  table,  exceeded 
every  thing  they  had  before  conceived." 

It  has  not  been  common  for  missionary 
stations  among  Pagans,  to  be  favoured  so 
early,  as  was  Brainerd,  with  the  converting 
influences  of  the  Spirit  of  God.  Generally, 
in  these  latter  days,  the  faith  and  patience 
of  a  missionary,  under  such  circumstances, 
have  been  considerably  tried,  before  he  has 
seen  the  fruits  of  his  labours;  though,  in  due 
season,  there  has  seldom  failed  to  be  a  har- 
vest amply  compensating  him  for  all  his  toils. 
But  among  the  Indians  of  North  America, 
who  have  not  incorporated  the  worst  vices 
of  civilized  life  with  their  own,  the  preacher 
of  the  Gospel  has  some  peculiar  advantages. 
They  possess  not,  as  do  most  heathen  nations, 
a  complicated  system  of  false  religion,  trans- 
mitted from  their  fathers,  which  must  be 
overthrown,  before  the  Gospel  can  prevail. 
They  are,  to  a  great  extent,  "without  a  sac- 
rifice, and  without  an  im^ge,  and  without  an 
ephod,  and  without  a  teraphim."  There  is 
scarcely   any  thing  among  the  Indians  them- 


CATHARINE    BROWN.  31 

selves,  to  oppose  the  prevalence  of  the  Gos- 
pel, except  their  unfortified  ignorance  and 
depravity.  The  greatest  obstacles  to  mis- 
sionary success  among  them,  arise  from  a 
foreign  influence,  industriously,  and  some- 
times powerfully,  exerted. 

In  May,  Jeremiah  Evarts,  Esq.,  at  that 
time  Treasurer  of  the  American  Board  of 
Commissioners  for  Foreign  iMissions,  arrived 
at  Brainerd,  on  a  visit  of  inspection  and 
superintendence.  By  extracting  two  or  three 
passages  from  a  letter,  which  he  then 
wrote,  to  Dr.  Worcester,  Corresponding- 
Secretary  of  the  Board,  the  reader  will  have 
an  interesting  view  of  the  internal  economy 
of  the  missionary  establishment,  with  which 
Catharine   was   connected. 

"It  was  on  Friday  evening,  the  8th  inst., 
just  after  sun-set,  that  1  alighted  at  the  mis- 
sion-house. The  path,  which  leads  to  it 
from  the  main-road,  passes  through  an  open 
wood,  which  is  extremely  beautiful  at  ihis 
season  of  the  year.  The  mild  radiance  of 
the  setting  sun,  the  unbroken  solitude  of  the 
wilderness,   the   pleasantness   of  the   forest 


32  MEMOIR    OF 

with  all  its  springing  and  blossoming  vegeta- 
tion, the  object  of  my  journey,  and  the 
nature  and  design  of  the  institution,  which  I 
was  about  to  visit,  conspired  to  render  the 
scene  solemn  and  interesting,  and  to  fill  the 
mind  with  tender  emotions. 

"Early  in  the  evening,  the  children  of  the 
school,  being  informed  that  one  cf  their 
northern  friends,  whom  they  had  been  ex- 
pecting, had  arrived,  eagerly  assembled  in 
the  hall,  and  were  drawn  up  in  ranks  and 
particularly  introduced.  They  are  neither 
shy,  nor  forward  in  their  manners.  To  a 
stranger  they  appear  not  less  interesting  than 
other  children  of  the  same  age;  but,  if  he 
considers  their  circumstances  and  prospects, 
incomparably  more  so. 

ux\t  evening  prayers,  I  was  forcibly  struck 
with  the  stillness,  order,  and  decorum  of  the 
children,  and  with  the  solemnity  of  the  family 
worship.  A  portion  of  Scripture  was  read, 
with  Scott's  practical  observations;  a  hymn 
was  sung,  in  which  a  large  portion  of  the 
children  united;  and  Mr.  Hoyt  led  the  devo- 
tions of  the  numerous  family.  If  all  the 
members  of  the  Board  could  hear  the  prayers. 


CATHARINE    BROWN.  33 

which  are  daily  offered  in  their  behalf  at 
this  station,  (and  I  presume  at  all  others  un- 
der their  superintendence;)  and  if  all  patrons 
and  contributors  could  hear  the  thanks,  which 
are  returned  to  God  for  their  liberality;  and 
especially  if  they  could  see  a  large  circle  of 
children,  lately  rescued  from  heathenism, 
kneeling  with  apparent  seriousness,  and  en- 
gaging in  the  solemnities  of  Christian  worship, 
one  of  them  [Catharine  Brown]  already  a 
hopeful  convert,  and  others  thoughtful  and 
inquiring; — if  all  these  things  could  be  seen, 
one  may  safely  predict,  that  the  exertions 
and  sacrifices  of  the  friends  of  missions  would 
be  increased  four-fold.  These  things  are  not 
the  less  real,  however,  because  they  cannot 
be  seen  by  every  friend  to  the  cause." 

The  Rev.  Ard  Hoyt,  mentioned  in  the 
above  extracts,  joined  the  mission  in  the 
January  preceding,  and,  in  June,  succeeded 
Mr.  Kingsbury  as  superintendent  of  the  Cher- 
okee mission,  the  latter  having  removed  to 
the  Choctaw  nation. 

A   farther  extract  from  the  letter  of  Mr. 
Evarts  will  not  only  confirm  much,  that  has 
4 


34  MEMOIR    OF 

already  been  said  respecting  Catharine,   but 
will  add  some  other  particulars. 

"  Her  parents  are   half-breeds,  who  have 
never    learnt  to  speak    English;   yet  if  you 
were  to  see  her  at  a  boarding-school  in  New- 
England,  as  she  ordinarily  appears  here,  you 
would  not  distinguish  her  from  well-educated 
females  of  the  same  age,  either   by  her  com- 
plexion,   features,    drei>s,    pronunciation,    or 
manners.     If  your  attention  were  directed  to 
her  particularly,  you  would   notice   a  more 
than  ordinary  modesty  and   reserve.     If  you 
were   to   see   her  in  a  religious   meeting  of 
pious  females,  you  would  not  distinguish  her, 
unless   by  her  more   than  common  simplicity 
and  humility.     When  she  joined   the  school 
in  July  last,  (having  come  more  than  one  hun- 
dred miles  for  that  sole  purpose,)  she  could 
read  in  syllables   of  three   letters,   and   was 
seventeen   years    old.      From    her    superior 
manners  and  comely  person  she  had  probably 
attracted  more    attention,  than  any  other  fe- 
male in  the  nation.     She  was  vain,  and  exces- 
sively  fond  of  dress,  wearing  a  profusion  of 
ornaments  in  her  ears.     She   can  now   read 
well  in  the  Bible,  is  fond  of  reading  other 


CATHARINE    BROWN.  35 

books,  and  has  been  particularly  pleased  with 
the  Memoirs  of  Mrs.  Newell.  Last  fall  she 
became  serious,  is  believed  to  have  experi- 
enced religion  in  the  course  of  the  autumn, 
and  was  baptized  in  January.  Since  that 
time,  she  has  been  constantly  in  the  family; 
and  all  the  female  members  ©f  it  have  the 
most  intimate  knowledge  of  her  conduct,  and 
receive  a  frank  disclosure  of  her  feelings. 
It  is  their  unanimous  opinion,  that  she  gives 
uncommon  evidence  of  piety.  At  meetings 
for  social  prayer  and  religious  improvement, 
held  by  them  on  every  Thursday  afternoon 
and  Sabbath  evening,  Catharine  prays  in  her 
turn,  much  to  the  gratification  of  her  sisters 
in  Christ.  Her  prayers  are  distinguished  by 
great  simplicity  as  to  thought  and  language, 
and  seem  to  be  the  filial  aspirations  of  the 
devout  child.  Before  Mrs.  Chamberlain  took 
charge  of  the  girls,  Catharine  had,  of  her 
own  accord,  commenced  evening  prayer  with 
them,  just  as  they  were  retiring  to  rest. 
Sometime  after  this  practice  had  been  begun, 
it  was  discovered  by  one  of  the  missionaries, 
who,  happening  to  pass  by  the  cabin  where 
the  girls  lodge,  overheard  her  pouring  forth 


3(5  MEMOIR    OF 

her  desires  in  very  affecting  and  appropriate 
language.  On  being  inquired  of  respecting 
it,  she  simply  observed,  that  she  had  prayed 
with  the  girls,  because  she  thought  it  was 
her  duty.  Yet  this  young  woman,  whose 
conduct  might  now  reprove  many  professing 
Christians,  who  have  been  instructed  in  reli- 
gion from  their  infancy,  only  ten  months  ago 
had  never  heard  of  Jesus  Christ,  nor  had  a 
single  thought  whether  the  soul  survived  the 
body,  or  not.  Since  she  became  religious, 
her  trinkets  have  gradually  disappeared,  till 
only  a  single  drop  remains  in  each  ear.  On 
hearing  that  pious  females  have,  in  many  in- 
stances, devoted  their  ornaments  to  the  mis- 
sionary cause,  she  has  determined  to  devote 
hers  also.  In  coming  to  this  determination, 
she  acted  without  influence  from  the  advice 
of  others."* 

Time  fled  rapidly  away,  in  pious  em- 
ployments and  in  Christian  intercourse,  and 
brought  the  long  expected,  much  dreaded 
separation.  It  shall  be  described  in  the  words 
of  those,  who,  next  to  the  interesting  suf- 
ferer, felt  it  most. 

*  Panoplist,  vol.  xiv.  p.  344. 


CATHARINE    BROWN.  37 

"  November  4\  The  parents  of  Catharine 
Brown  called  on  us.  They  are  on  their  way 
to  the  Agency.  The  old  grey-headed  man, 
with  tears  in  his  eyes,  said  he  must  go  over 
the  Mississippi.  The  white  people  would 
not  suffer  him  to  live  here.  They  had 
stolen  his  cattle,  horses,  and  hogs,  until  he 
bad  very  little  left.  He  expected  to  return 
from  the  Agency,  in  about  ten  days,  and 
should  then  want  Catharine  to  go  home,  and 
prepare  to  go  with  him  to  the  Arkansas. 
We  requested  him  to  leave  his  daughter  with 
us  yet  a  little  while,  and  go  to  the  Arkansas 
without  her;  and  we  would  soon  send  her  to 
him,  with  much  more  knowledge  than  she  now 
has.  To  this  he  would  not  consent;  but  sig- 
nified a  desire,  that  some  of  us  would  go 
along  with  him.  It  is  a  great  trial  to  think 
of  sending  this  dear  sister  away  with  only 
one  year's  tuition;  but  we  fear  she  must  go. 
The  Lord  can  and  will  order  otherwise,  if, 
on  the  whole,  it  is  for  the  best," 

While    her    parents    were    gone    to    the 
Agency,    Catharine   made  a  farewell  visit  to 
Springplace,  the  seat    of  the   Moravian   mis- 
sion, about  thirty-five  miles   from  Brainerd, 
*4 


38  MEMOIR    OP 

The  feelings,  with  which  she  parted  from 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gambold,  the  venerable  mis- 
sionaries there,  were  such  as  might  be  ex- 
pected, from  her  high  regard  for  their  cha- 
racters, and  her  prospect  of  never  seeing 
them  again.  She  returned  to  Brainerd  on 
the  9th;  and,  on  the  20th7  the  missionaries 
thus  describe  her  removal. 

"We  had  a  very  affecting  scene,  in 
the  departure  of  our  sister  Catharine.  Her 
father  and  mother,  returning  from  the  Agen- 
cy to  go  to  the  Arkansas,  stopped  yesterday 
for  the  purpose  of  taking  her  with  them. 
She  knew  that  she  needed  more  information 
to  be  prepared  to  go  alone  into  the  wilder- 
ness, and  intreated  them  to  leave  her  with  us 
a  little  longer.  She  is  their  only  daughter; 
and  they  would  not  consent  on  any  terms. 
The  struggle  was  very  severe.  She  wept 
and  prayed,  and  promised  to  come  to  them, 
as  soon  as  she  had  finished  her  literary  edu- 
cation, and  acquired  some  further  knowledge 
of  the  Christian  religion.  We  engaged  that 
she  should  be  provided  for  while  here,  and 
assisted  in  going  to  them.  Her  mother  said, 
she  could  not  live,  if  Catharine  would  not 


CATHARINE     BROWN.  39 

now  go  with  them.  Catharine  replied,  that 
to  her  it  would  be  more  bitter  than  death  to 
leave  us,  and  go  where  there  were  no  mis- 
sionaries. Her  father  became  impatient,  and 
told  her,  if  she  would  not  mind  him,  and  go 
with  them  now,  he  would  disown  her  for- 
ever; but  if  she  would  now  go,  as  soon  as 
missionaries  came  to  the  Arkansas,  (and  he 
expected  they  would  be  there  soon,)  she 
might  go  and  live  with  them  as  long  as  she 
pleased.  He  wished  her  to  have  more  learn- 
ing. 

u  Never  before  had  this  precious  convert 
so  severe  a  trial;  and  never,  perhaps,  did 
her  graces  shine  so  bright.  She  sought  for 
nothing  but  to  know  her  duty,  and  asked  for 
a  few  minutes  to  be  by  herself  undisturbed. 
She  returned,  and  said  she  would  go*  After 
she  had  collected  and  put  up  her  clothing, 
the  family  were  assembled,  a  parting  hymn 
was  sung,  and  a  prayer  offered.  With  mingled 
emotions  of  joy  and  grief,  we  commended  her 
to  the  grace  of  God,  and  they  departed. 

"  Precious  babe  in  Christ!  a  few  months 
ago  brought  out  of  the  dark  wilderness;  here 
illuminated  by  the  word  and  Spirit  of  God; 
and  now  to  be  sent  back  into  the  dark  and 


40  MEMOIR   OF 

chilling  shades  of  the  forest,  without  one 
fellow  traveller,  with  whom  she  can  say, 
'Our  Father!'  O  ye,  who  with  delight  sit 
under  the  droppings  of  the  sanctuary,  and 
enjoy  the  communion  of  saints,  remember 
Catharine  in  your  prayers." 

Thus  was  she  removed  from  a  place,  en- 
deared to  her  by  some  of  the  most  pleasing 
associations  of  her  life;  and  she  departed, 
expecting  to  return  no  more.  A  day  of  sor- 
row must  it  have  been  to  the  members  of 
the  school,  whose  warmest  attachment  she 
had  most  effectually  secured.  The  chief 
consolation  of  her  religious  friends  was,  that 
the  whole  had  been  ordered  by  infinite 
Wisdom. 

Early  in  the  following  month,  information 
was  received  at  Brainerd,  that  two  children, 
who  had  been  taken  captive  by  the  Chero- 
kees  from  the  Osage  tribe  of  Indians,  were 
in  the  lower  part  of  the  nation,  and  that  one 
of  them  was  supposed  to  be  the  sister  of 
Lydia  Carter,  the  interesting  «  Little  Osage 
Captive,"*   who  was  then  a  member  of  the 

*  The  little  girl,  a  narrative  of  whom  was  published,  in  1822,  by 
the  Rev.  Enas  Cornelius,  now  Pastor  of  the  Tabernacle  Church 
«&  Salem,  Mass. 


CATHARINE     BROWN.  41 

school.  There  being  some  reason  to  believe, 
that  the  man,  in  whose  possession  they  were, 
might  be  induced  to  surrender  them  to  the 
care  of  the  missionaries,  Mr.  Hoyt,  accom- 
panied by  his  son,  set  out  in  quest  of  the  un- 
fortunate children.  They  travelled  between 
two  and  three  hundred  miles,  and  encounter- 
ed many  hardships  on  their  way.  But,  though 
they  found  the  children,  and  ascertained  that 
one  was  indeed  the  sister  of  Lydia,  they  fail- 
ed in  their  great  object.  The  man,  who 
professed  to  be  the  owner  of  the  children, 
would  not  relinquish  them. 

The  journey  was  not,  however,  in  vain. 
Mr.  Hoyt  had  the  happiness  of  meeting  with 
Catharine,  at  her  father's  house.  This  oc- 
currence is  thus  noticed,  in  the  journal  of  the 
mission. 

"  In  this  tour,  father  Hoyt  spent  two  nights 
and  a  day  at  the  house  of  Catharine  Brown's 
father.  He  was  received  with  great  cordi- 
ality by  the   whole  family;   and  Catharine's 

*  The  girl  was  never  obtained  by  the  missionaries:  but  the  boy 
was  afterwards  placed  under  their  care,  through  the  kindness  ef 
Col.  Meigs,  the  United  States  Agent,  and  through  the  benevolent 
enterprise  of  Mr.  Jolm  Ross,  a  promising  Cherokee  young  mas* 
The  bov  was  named  John  Osage  Ross,  in  honour  of  Mr.  Ross. 


42  MEMOIR    OF 

joy  was  so  great,  that  he  says,  ;  I  felt  myself 
more  than  paid  for  the  fatigues  of  the  whole 
journey,  by  the  first  evening's  opportunity.' 
Catharine  said,  it  had  been  very  dark  times 
with  her,  since  she  leftBrainerd.  All  around 
her  were  engaged  for  the  riches  and  plea- 
sures of  the  world;  and  because  she  could 
not  unite  with  them,  as  formerly,  they  were 
telling  her,  they  supposed  she  thought  her- 
self very  good  now;  that  she  expected  to  go 
to  heaven  alone;  &c.  Her  greatest  burden 
was,  a  fear  that  she  should  be  drawn  away 
from  the  right  path,  and  at  length  be  left  to 
do  like  those  around  her.  She  felt  herself 
too  weak  to  leave  the  society  and  instruction 
of  Christians,  and  go  into  the  world  alone." 

Whiie  Mr.  Hoyt  was  at  her  father's,  he 
preached  to  a  small  audience  of  Cherokees, 
and  one  Indian  woman  was  so  much  affected, 
that  she  wept  during  the  whole  service. 
After  the  departure  of  Mr.  Hoyt,  this  woman 
sent  for  Catharine  to  read  and  explain  the 
Bible  to  her,  and  to  pray  with  her,  which 
was  repeatedly  done.  There  is  reason  to 
believe,  that  a  salutary  and  abiding  impres- 
sion was  produced;   for,  after  Catharine's  re- 


CATHARINE     BROWN.  43 

turn  to  Brainerd,  this  poor  female  came  all 
the  way,  a*  distance  of  more  than  a  hundred 
miles,  to  hear,  as  she  said,  more  about  the 
Saviour. 

This  chapter  will  be  closed  with  two  let- 
ters from  Catharine  to  her  friends,  which  are 
the  eariiest,  of  which  her  biographer  has 
any  knowledge.  And  this  occasion  is  taken 
to  remark,  that  nearly  all  the  letters, 
which  will  find  a  place  in  this  memoir,  were 
written  from  the  overflowings  of  her  heart 
to  persons  with  whom  she  was  intimately 
acquainted,  and  hence  with  little  study,  or 
effort.  The  greater  part  of  them  have  never 
before  been  published.  They  are  generally 
copied  from  the  originals,  which  are  in  a  plain, 
intelligible  running  hand,  and  the  orthography 
is  very  seldom  incorrect.  Alterations  in  the 
sense,  are  never  made;  and  corrections  in  the 
grammar,  but  rarely. 

The  first  of  the  letters  was  written  in  the 
anticipation  of  her  dreaded  removal  from  her 
Christian  friends,  sixteen  months  from  her 
first  coming  to  Brainerd. 


44  MEMOIR   OF 

TO     MRS,     WILLIAMS,    AT    ELLIOT. 

Brainerd,  JVov.  1,  1818. 
My  dearly  beloved  Sister, 

I  have  been  wishing  to  write  to  you  ever 
since  you  left  us.  You  can  hardly  tell  how 
my  heart  ached  when  I  parted  with  you,  ex- 
pecting  never  to  see  you  again  in  this  world; 
but  when  I  remembered  that  you  were  in  the 
hands  of  the  Lord,  and  that  he  would  dispose 
of  you  as  he  pleased,  it  gave  me  joy  equal  to 
my  sorrow. 

O  how  I  rejoiced,  to  think  that  you 
were  going  to  carry  the  glad  tidings  of  sal- 
vation to  a  people  who  had  never  heard  of 
the  dear  Saviour.  I  do  hope  and  pray  that 
the  Lord  will  bless  your  labours  among  them, 
as  he  has  here. 

We  were  very  lonesome  when  you  left  us, 
especially  at  our  prayer  meeting;  but  I  hope 
our  hearts  were  united  in  love.  I  was  very 
sorry  to  hear  that  you  were  sick;  but  it  re- 
joiced me  to  hear  that  you  were  recovering, 
O,  my  dear  sister,  I  will  join  with  you  in 
praising  the  Lord  for  bis  goodness  in  restor- 
ing you  to  health,     I  shall   never  forget  you, 


CATHARINE    BROWN.  45 

or  your  kind  endeavours  to  bring  me  to  a 
knowledge  of  the  Saviour.  Sometimes  I  feel 
the  love  of  God  shed  abroad  in  my  heart,  and 
feel  as  if  1  should  be  willing  to  give  up  every 
thing  in  this  world  to  Christ.  O  how  good  is 
it  to  enjoy  the  presence  of  God;  O  that  I 
might  always  enjoy  it:  but  my  heart  is  so  bad 
and  so  prone  to  leave  the  God  I  love,  that  I 
am  afraid  he  will  leave  me.  O  my  dear  sister, 
do  pray  for  me. 

All  the  Cherokee  brothers  and  sisters  are 
well.  Three  of  the  scholars,  viz.  Lydia 
Lowry,  Alice,  and  I'eggy  Wilson,  we  hope 
have  obtained  an  interest  in  the  Saviour.  Mr. 
Wilson  came  here,  and  wished  to  take  his 
daughters  on  a  visit  to  Mr.  Brown1*.  Nearly 
a  week  after,  he  sent  word  that  he  was  not 
going  to  send  them  back  to  school  again.  We 
felt  very  much  grieved  to  hear  it. 

I  expect  my  father  here  every  day.  I  do 
not  know  whether  I  shall  go  to  the  Arkansas, 
or  not.  1  feel  grieved  when  I  think  of  leav- 
ing my  Christian  friends,  and  of  going  far 
from  all  religious  people,  into  a  wild  howl- 
ing wilderness,  where  no  star  shines  to  guide 
my  wandering  feet  to  the  Babe  of  Bethlehem; 
5 


46  MEMOIR    OF 

where  no  warning  voice  is  heard  to  keep  me 
in  the  straight  path  that  leads  to  heaven. 
When  I  look  to  that  dark  region,  I  start  back; 
but  when  I  think  of  my  two  brothers  there, 
and  my  dear  parents,  who  are  soon  to  go,  I 
feel  reluctant  to  stay  behind,  and  leave  them 
to  perish  alone. 

Tell  Mr.  Williams  and  Mr.  Kingsbury,  that 
I  remember  them  most  affectionately,  and 
also  all  the  dear  brothers  and  sisters  at  Yello 
Busha. 

From  your  loving  sister, 

Catharine  Brown. 


TO     MR.     AND     MRS.    CHAMBERLAIN,    AT    BRAIN ERD. 

Fort  Deposit,  Dec.  12,  1818. 
My  dearly  beloved  Brother  and  Sister  Chamberlain, 

I  just  sit  down  to  address  you  with  my 
pen.  But  is  this  all?  Am  I  so  soon  called  to 
bid  you  adieu,  and  see  your  faces  no  more 
in  this  world?  O  my  beloved  friends,  you 
know  not  the  love  I  bear  to  that  blessed  spot, 
where  I  have  spent  so  many  happy  hours 
with  you;  but  it  is  past  never  to  return. 


gAtharine    brown.  47 

Dear  friends,  1  weep;  my  heart  is  full;  tears 
flow  from  my  eyes  while  I  write;  and  why  is 
it  so?  Do  I  murmur?  God  forbid.  Ought  I 
not  to  praise  the  Lord  for  what  I  have  receiv- 
ed, and  trust  Him  for  every  thing?  Oyes,  his 
ways  are  best,  and  he  has  graciously  prom- 
ised, that  "all  things  shall  work  together  for 
good  to  them  that  love  him."  But  do  I  love 
him?  Have  I  that  love  to  him,  which  will 
enable  me  to  keep  all  his  commandments?  Do 
I  love  him  with  all  my  heart?  O  that  the  Lord 
would  search  me,  and  lead  me  in  the  way  of 
eternal  life. 

Since  I  left  you,  I  have  led  a  very  lone- 
some life,  and  not  heard  the  Gospel  preached 
but  unce;  that  is,  when  father  Hoyt  was  here, 
and  Milo,  They  came  here  on  Tuesday 
evening.  I  was  sitting  in  my  room,  and  heard 
a  knocking  at  the  door.  I  bid  them  come  in; 
and  who  but  Milo  appeared.  I  inquired  if 
any  body  was  with  him.  He  said  his  father 
was  at  the  door.  That  rejoiced  me  very 
much,  and  I  enjoyed  very  much  while  they 
were  here.  Blessed  be  God  for  sending  them 
here  to  instruct  us. 


4S  MEMOIR    OF 

I  am  here  amongst  a  wicked  set  of  people, 
and  never  hear  prayers,  nor  any  godly  con- 
versation. O  my  dear  friends,  pray  for  me: 
I  hope  you  do.  There  is  not  a  day  passes 
but  I  think  of  you,  and  the  kindness  I  received 
during  the  time  I  staid  with  you.  It  is  not 
my  wish  to  go  to  the  Arkansas;  but  God  only 
knows  what  is  best  for  me.  I  shall  not  attempt 
to  tell  you  what  I  have  felt  since  I  left  you, 
and  the  tears  I  have  shed  when  I  called  to 
mind  the  happy  moments  we  passed  in  singing 
the  prases  of  God.  However,  I  bear  it 
as  well  as  I  possibly  can,  trusting  in  our  dear 
Saviour,  who  will  never  leave  nor  forsake 
them,  that  put  their  trust  in  him. 

It  may  be  possible,  that  I  may  see  you  once 
more;  it  would  be  a  great  happiness  to  me  if 
I  don't  go  to  the  Arkansas;  perhaps  I  may; 
but  if  I  should  go,  it  is  not  likely  we  shall 
meet  in  this  world  again: — but  you  will  ex- 
cuse me,  for  my  heart  feels  what  1  cannot 
express  with  my  pen.  When  I  think  and  see 
the  poor  thoughtless  Cherokees  going  on  in 
Sin,  I  cannot  help  blessing  God,  that  he  has 
led  me  in  the  right  path  to  serve  him. 


CATHARINE     BROWN.  49 

Father  will  start  to  the  Arkansas  about 
some  time  after  Christmas;  but,  I  am  not  cer* 
tain  that  I  shall  go. 

I  thank  you  for  your  kind  letters.  Do 
write  to  me  every  opportunity. 

I  shall  conclude  with  liry  love  to  all  my 
brothers  and  sisters  at  Brainerd.  Sister  Flora, 
do  kiss  all  the  children  for  me.  I  shall  ex- 
pect letters  from  all  the  little  girls.  O  may 
we  meet  at  last  in  the  kingdom  of  our  blessed 
Saviour,  never  more  to  part.  Farewell,  my 
dear  brother  and  sister,  farewell. 

From  your  affectionate  sister  in  Christ, 

Catharine  Brown. 


*5 


50  MEMOIR    OF 


CHAPTER     III. 

FROM  HER  RETURN  TO  BRAINERD,  UNTIL  SHE 
TAKES  CHARGE  OF  A  SCHOOL  AT  CREEK- 
PATH. 

Benefits    resulting  from    her   being  taken  from 

the  school. Her    return. Letters. Her 

brother  David  a  member  of  the  school. — His 
conversion. — Catharine  and  David  visit  their 
sick  father. — A  school  established  near  Mr. 
Brown's. — Account  of  John  Arch. — Efforts 
of  Catharine  and  David  at  Brainerd. —  The 
latter  goes  to  New  England. — His  subsequent 
history. — A  female  teacher  wanted  at  Creek- 
Path. — Catharine  undertakes  this  service. — 
Letters. 

Those,  who  will  but  observe,  may  often  wit- 
ness very  affecting  instances  of  the  particular 
and  merciful  providence,  which  God  exercises 
towards  his  children  in  this  world.     Both  the 


CATHARINE    BROWN-  51 

removal   and  the  return  of  Catharine  may  be 
regarded  as  such  instances. 

What  was  the  precise  influence  upon  her 
own  character,  of  her  being  taken  from  Brain- 
erd,  cannot  be  determined;  though  there  is 
little  doubt  but  her  faith  and  patience  were, 
by  this  means,  increased.  But  the  conse- 
quences of  her  removal  to  others,  are  more 
obvious.  It  led  the  way  to  the  formation  of 
schools,  and  to  the  stated  preaching  of  the 
Gospel,  at  Creek-Path,  the  place  of  her 
father's  residence,  and  to  the  hopeful  conver- 
sion of  nearly  all  her  family;  thus  illustrating 
the  maxim,  that  our  greatest  blessings  may 
spring  from  our  severest  afflictions. 

Her  return  was  scarcely  expected  by  the 
missionaries,  when,  on  the  23d  of  May  1819, 
her  father  brought  her  again  to  Brainerd,  and 
committed  her  to  their  care,  until  her  educa- 
tion should  be  completed,  intending  to  remove 
immediately,  with  the  remainder  of  his  family, 
beyond  the  Mississippi.  This  purpose,  as  has 
been  previously  intimated,  was  not  executed. 
Mr.  Brown  did  not  proceed  to  the  Arkansas 
country  until  more  than  four  years  after  this 
time,  and  not  till  the  beloved  daughter,  for 


52  MEMOIR    OP 

whose  society'he  was  so  desirous,  had  been 
laid  in  the  dust.  The  causes  of  this  delay  are 
unknown  to  the  author  of  this  memoir. 

Catharine  ascribed  the  change  in  the  inten 
tions  of  her  parents  respecting  her,  wholly  to 
the  special  providence  of  Him,  who  heareth 
prayer.  The  appointed  time  for  their  de- 
parture drew  near.  She  was  convinced  that 
it  was  not  best  for  her  to  go.  Her  continual 
intercessions  were,  that  her  parents  might  be 
induced  to  leave  her  behind.  And  her  prayers 
were  answered.  After  one  of  her  seasons  of 
private  devotion,  she  returned  to  her  family, 
with  a  delightfully  confident  hope,  that  God 
had  listened  to  her  requests;  and,  as  she  en- 
tered the  room  where  her  parents  were  sit- 
ting, she  found  they  had  been  consulting  on 
the  expediency  of  sending  her  back  to  Brai- 
nerd;  and  had  actually  resolved  upon  her  re- 
turn. This  was  just  half  a  year  from  the 
period  of  her  removal  from  that  consecrated 
place. 

On  this  occasion,  the  missionaries  very  nat- 
urally exclaim; — "How  unsearchable  are  the 
w»ys  of  God!  We  thought  it  a  very  afflicting 
providence  that  this  lamb  should  be  snatched 


CATHARINE     BROWN.  53 

from  the  fold  of  Christ,  to  go,  as  we  thought, 
where  she  would  be  exposed  to  be  devoured 
by  wolves;  and  were  ready  to  say  in  our 
hearts,  when  her  father  required  her  to  go 
with  him,  'not  so.'  But  in  this  very  way,  God 
has  given  her  an  opportunity  to  set  an  ex- 
ample of  filial  obedience,  by  submitting  to  the 
authority  of  a  father,  in  a  most  painful  requisi- 
tion, and  of  manifesting  her  love  to  the  Sav- 
iour, in  her  willingness  to  forsake  all  for  him; 
and,  at  the  same  time,  has  granted  her  the  ob- 
ject of  her  pious  and  fervent  desire." 

With  how  much  delight  she  revisited  the 
scenes  of  her  first  aspirations  after  God  and 
heaven,  will  appear  in  a  letter,  which  was 
written  a  few  days  after  her  arrival  at  Brai- 
nerd. 

TO  MR.  AND   MRS.  HALL,    AT   KNOXVILLE. 

Brainerd,  May  30,  1819. 
My  dear  Brother  and  Sister, 

With  pleasure  I  spend  a  few  moments  in 
writing  to  you  this  evening,  to  tell  you  of  my 
safe  arrival  on  the  23d  of  this  month.  O  how 
great  was  the  joy  that  I  felt,  when  meeting  the 
dear  family  at  Brainerd,  with  whom  I  have  long 


54  MEMOIR    OF 

desired  to  be.  Yes,  dear  brother  and  sister, 
God  has  returned  me  back  once  more,  where 
I  can  be  with  Christian  friends,  and  get  more 
instruction.  If  it  is  the  Lord's  will,  I  hope  to 
stay  here  two  years  longer.  O  that  I  might 
improve  the  great  privileges,  which  1  now 
enjoy 

It  appears  strange  to  me,  that  I  am  not  more 
interested  in  the  cause  of  Christ,  when  he  has 
done  so  much  for  me.  But  I  will  now  give 
myself  up  entirely  to  Him.  I  should  be  will- 
ing to  leave  every  thing  for  God,  and  to  un- 
dergo any  sufferings,  if  it  would  bit  make  me 
humble,  and  would  be  for  his  glory. 

My  heart  bleeds  for  my  people,  who  are 
on  the  brink  of  destruction.  O  pray  for  me, 
my  dear  brother  and  sister.  I  long  to  see  you 
and  your  little  one.  I  am  your  affectionate 
sister,  Catharine  Brown. 

Of  her  employments,  from  this  time  till  the 
end  of  the  year,  the  documents,  on  which  the 
principal  reliance  is  placed,  contain  no  impor- 
tant notices.  Doubtless  she  was  occupied  in 
making  useful  acquisitions;  and,  so  far  as  her 
duties  as  a  member  of  the  school  would  per- 


CATHARINE    BROWN.  55 

mit,  in  communicating  the  knowledge  she  had 
acquired  to  others. 

Two  or  three  letters  may  properly  be   in- 
serted here. 

TO  MR.  AND  MRS.   WILLIAMS. 

Brainerd,  July  5,  1819. 
My  dear  Brother  and  Sister  Williams, 

Although  I  have  long  omitted  answering 
your  affectionate  letters,  my  heart  has  been 
often  with  you.  Yes,  dear  brother  and  sister,  I 
do  not  forget  you,  and  all  the  pleasant  meetings 
we  had  together,when  you  were  here.  But  pain 
is  mixed  with  pleasure,  when  I  think  they  are 
gone,  no  more  to  return!  When  I  remember 
the  kind  instruction  I  received  from  you,  be- 
fore you  left  this  place,  my  heart  swells  with 
gratitude.  I  feel  much  indebted  to  you,  but 
more  particularly  to  that  God,  who  sent  you 
here  to  instruct  the  poor  ignorant  Indians  in 
the  way  that  leads  to  everlasting  life.  Oh, 
my  dear  friends,  may  the  Lord  ever  bless  you, 
and  make  you  the  instrument  of  doing  great 
good  where  he  has  called  you. 

You  may  pass  through  many  trials;  but 
remember,  beloved  brother  and  sister,  all 
our  trials    here   will   only  make  us   richer 


56  MEMOIR    OF 

there,  when  we  arrive  at  our  home.  A 
few  more  days,  and  then  I  hope  our  weary 
souls  will  be  at  rest  in  our  Saviour's  kingdom, 
where  we  shall  enjoy  His  blessed  presence 
forever. 

When  I  wrote  you  before,  I  expected  to 
go  to  the  Arkansas,  and  never  to  see  this 
place  again.  But  the  Lord  has  in  mercy  or- 
dered it  otherwise.  He  has  permitted  me  to 
live  with  the  dear  missionaries  here  again, 
though  my  parents  could  not  bear  to  think  of 
leaving  me  behind.  My  mother  said,  if  I  re- 
mained here,  she  did  not  expect  to  see  me 
again  in  this  world.  Indeed,  she  wished  she 
had  never  sent  me  to  this  school,  and  that  I 
had  never  received  religious  instruction.  I 
told  her,  if  she  was  a  Christian  she  would  not 
feel  so.  She  would  be  willing  to  give  me, 
and  all  she  had,  up  to  Christ.  I  told  her  I 
did  not  wish  to  stay  on  account  of  my  own 
pleasure;  but  that  I  wished  to  get  more  in- 
struction, so  that  it  might  be  for  her  good,  as 
well  as  for  mine. 

I  felt  very  sorry  for  my  poor  parents.  I 
thought  it  was  my  duty  to  go  in  obedience  to 
their  commands,  and  commit  myself  to  the 


CATHARINE    BROWN.  57 

will  of  God.     I  knew  the  Lord  could  change 
the  hearts  of  my  parents. 

They  are  now  perfectly  willing,  that  I 
should  stay  here  two  years  longer.  I  left 
them  in  March.  They  expected  to  set  out 
in  that  month  for  the  Arkansas.  They 
had  already  prepared  for  the  journey.  But 
the  Lord  has  so  ordered,  that  they  have  con- 
cluded not  to  go  until  next  fall.  I  don't  know 
whether  they  will  go  then.  1  hope  you  will 
pray  for  them,  and  also  for  me,  that  I  may  be 
useful  to  my  dear  people.  My  heart  bleeds 
for  their  immortal  souls.  O  that  I  might  be 
made  the  means  of  turning  many  souls  from 
darkness  unto  marvellous  light. 

My  dear  brother  and  sister,  I  love  you 
much,  and  feel  that  the  time  is  short  when  we 
shall  sit  down  with  our  Saviour,  and  expe- 
rience that  love  which  no  words  can  de- 
scribe. 

Give  my  love  to  my  dear  brother  and  sister 
Kingsbury,  and  afao  to  all  the  dear  missiona- 
ries there.  From  your  affectionate  sister  in 
Christ,  Catharine  Brown. 

P.  S.    Please  to  accept  this  small  present 
6 


5S  MEMOIR    OF 

for  my  little  darlings;    and  learn  them  to  say. 
'•Aunt  Catharine."* 


TO  MR.  MOODY  HALL,  AT  TALONEY.j 

Brainerd,  Oct.  25,  1819. 
A  few  moments  of  this  day  shall  be  spent 
in  writing  to  my  dear  brother.  It  seems  a 
long  time,  since  you  left  us.  I  long  to  see 
you.  I  long  to  hear  from  you.  1  hope  the 
Lord  is  with  you  this  day,  that  you  enjoy  the 
presence  of  our  dear  Redeemer.  My  sincere 
desire  and  earnest  prayer  to  the  throne  of 
grace,  is,  that  your  labours  may  be  blessed, 
and  that  God  would  make  you  the  instrument 
of  saving  many  souls  from  eternal  destruc- 
tion. 

*  Any  person  who  had  witnessed  the  separation  of  Mrs.  Wil- 
liams from  her  Cherokee  friends,  when  she  and  her  husband  left 
Brainerd  and  set  out  for  the  Choctaw  mission,  in  May  1818,  could  well 
understand  the  affectionate  expressions  in  this  letter.  When  tne 
boat  was  ready  to  proceed,  and  the  hour  of  parting  had  arrived; 
when  Mr.  Cornelius  had  made  the  last  prayer,  and  the  last  hymn  had 
been  sung;  Catharine  was  among  those  who  seemed  ready  to  sink  un- 
der a  burden  of  grief  too  great  to  be  borne.  Mrs.  Williams  had  al- 
ways been  peculiarly  dear  to  her  from  their  first  acquaintance, 
and,  like  an  older  sister,  had  guided  her  youthful  steps  in  the  path.? 
of  peace. 

t  Now  called  Caimel. 


CATHARINE     BROWN.  59 

O  how  I  feel  for  my  poor  Cherokee  breth- 
ren and  sisters,  who  do  not  know  the  blessed 
Jesus,  that  died  for  us,  and  do  not  enjoy  the 
blessings  that  I  do.  How  thankful  I  ought  to 
be  to  God,  that  I  have  ever  been  brought  to 
the  light  of  the  Gospel,  and  was  not  left  to 
wander  in  darkness.  O  I  hope  the  time  is  at 
hand,  when  all  the  heathen  shall  know  God, 
whom  to  know  is  life  everlasting. 

My  dear  brother,  may  we  be  faithful  to  our 
Master,  knowing  that  in  due  season  we  shall 
reap,  if  we  faint  not.  Our  pilgrimage  will 
shortly  be  ended,  and  all  our  trials  will  be 
over.  Do  not  forget  me  in  your  daily  pray- 
ers, for  I  need  very  much  the  prayers  of  God's 
children.  My  heart  is  prone  to  leave  my 
God,  whom  I  love.  From  your  unworthy 
sister  in  Christ,  Catharine  Brown. 


TO  MR.  AND  MRS.   HALL, 
On  their  removal  from  Brainerd. 

Bi-aiacrd,  jVov. ,  1819. 

How  solemn,  my  dear  brother  and  sister,  is 
the  idea,  that  we  must  soon  part.  Perhaps 
the  next  time  we  meet  will  be  in  eternity,  be- 


60  MEMOIR    OP 

fore  the  bar  of  God.  O  my  dear  brother  and 
sister,  if  we  are  prepared  to  meet  our  God  in 
peace,  we  shall  surely  be  happy.  But,  my 
beloved  friends,  how  can  I  be  permitted  to 
meet  you  in  heaven!  My  heart  is  so  prone  to 
sin  against  God,  that  I  am  sometimes  afraid  he 
will  leave  me.  Forget  not  to  pray,  that  all 
these  doubts  may  be  removed  from  me,  and 
that  my  soul  may  be  washed  in  the  blood  of 
Jesus  Christ. 

1  love  you  much,  and  feel  that  the  time  is 
short  when  we  shall  sit  down  with  our  Saviour. 
Farewell,  my  dear  brother  and  sister.  May 
the  Lord  go  with  you.    From  your  sister 

Catharine. 

In  the  same  month,  in  which  the  last  letter 
was  written,  we  find  David  Brown,  the  brother 
of  Catharine,  employed,  in  connexion  with 
another  young  Indian  named  John  Arch,  to 
assist  the  Rev.  Mr.  Butrick,  one  of  the  mis- 
sionaries at  Brainerd,  in  preparing  a  Cher- 
okee spelling-book,  which  was  afterwards 
printed  for  the  use  of  the  schools.  Of  course, 
David  had  previously  entered  the  school. 
And  we  may  safely  conclude  that  she,  who 
had  prayed  so  earnestly  for  him,  when  he  was 


CATHARINE    BROWN.  61 

absent,  would  not  fail  to  exert  herself  for  his 
spiritual  good,  when  present.  Her  efforts,  in 
conjunction  with  those  of  the  missionaries, 
were  not  ineffectual.  David  became  thought- 
ful— deeply  impressed — convinced  of  his  sin- 
fulness and  his  need  of  salvation  by  Jesus 
Christ — and,  early  in  the  year  1820,  hopes 
were  entertained,  that  he  had  become  truly 
pious. 

Soon  after  this,  hearing  that  their  father 
was  ill,  these  young  converts  from  heathenism 
went  home  to  see  him.  They  remained  at 
home  about  seven  weeks.  Catharine  says, 
"David  seized  his  Bible  as  soon  as  he  reached 
home,  and  began  to  read  and  interpret  to  bis 
father  and  mother,  and  the  other  members  of 
the  family,  exhorting  them  to  attend  to  it  as 
the  word  of  God,  to  repent  of  their  sins,  which 
he  told  them  were  many  and  great,  and  to  be- 
come the  followers  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ." 
With  his  father's  consent,  he  maintained  the 
worship  of  God  in  the  family,  morning  and 
evening,  and  craved  a  blessing  and  gave 
thanks  at  the  table.  He  also  conversed  freely 
with  friends  and  neighbours,  boldly  professing 
himself  a  Christian. 
*6 


62  MEMOIfc    OF 

The  impression  made  by  this  visit,  in  con- 
nexion with  the  previous  efforts  of  Catharine, 
was  such,  that  when  Mr.  Brown,  after  recov- 
ering from  his  illness,  brought  his  children 
back  to  Brainerd,  he  delivered  to  the  mis- 
sionaries the  following  letter,  signed  by  him- 
self and  others,  headmen  and  chiefs. 

"We,  the  headmen,  chiefs  of  the  Creek- 
Path  town,  Cherokee  nation,  have  this  day 
assembled  ourselves  together  for  the  purpose 
of  devising  some  plan  for  the  education  of  our 
children.  We  daily  witness  the  good  effects 
arising  from  education,  and  therefore  are  ex- 
tremely anxious  to  have  a  school  in  our  neigh- 
bourhood, as  the  distance  from  this  part  of  the 
nation  to  Chickamaugah  is  so  great  as  not  to 
suit  our  convenience.  We  therefore  solicit 
your  aid  in  carrying  our  plan  into  execution. 
We  can  raise  twenty,  or  perhaps  twenty-five 
children.  You  will  please  write  us  immedi- 
ately on  the  receipt  of  this.  Given  under 
our  hands,  this  16th  of  February  1820." 

In  consequence  of  this  request,  the  Rev. 
Daniel  S.  Butrick,  who  had  acquired  some 
knowledge  of  the  Cherokee  language,  left 
Brainerd   for    Creek-Path,   on   the    11th   ©f 


CATHARINE      BROWN.  63 

March,  and,  at  a  place  about  two  miles  from 
Mr.  Brown's  residence,  the  natives  having 
erected  a  convenient  house  for  the  purpose, 
he  soon  after  opened  a  school,  under  very  fa- 
vourable auspices. 

Mr.  Butrick  was  accompanied  and  much  as- 
sisted by  John  Arch,  a  converted  Cherokee 
of  good  promise,  whose  name  has  already 
been  mentioned.  This  young  man  was  born 
and  bred  among  the  mountains,  near  the  con- 
fines of  South  Carolina,  in  the  most  ignorant 
part  of  the  nation.  Happening  to  be  at  Knox- 
ville,  Tenn.  in  December  1818,  he  saw  Mr. 
Hall,  who  informed  him  of  the  school  at 
Chickamaugah.  Returning  home,  he  took  his 
gun,  and  set  off  in  search  of  the  place.  After 
travelling  a  hundred  and  fifty  miles,  he  arriv- 
ed at  the  station,  told  the  missionaries  he  had 
come  to  attend  the  school,  and  offered  them 
his  gun,  which  was  his  only  property,  for 
clothes.  We  are  informed  his  appearance 
was  so  wild  and  forbidding,  that  the  mission- 
aries hesitated  to  receive  him,  especially  as 
he  was  supposed  to  be  not  less  than  twenty 
years  of  age.  But  he  would  not  be  refused. 
They  took  him  upon  trial.     It  was  not  long 


64  MEMOIR  Of 

before  he  discovered  an  anxious  solicitude  re- 
specting his  soul,  and  soon  gave  the  most 
satisfactory  evidence  of  piety.  His  thirst  for 
knowledge  was  ardent,  and  his  application  and 
proficiency  in  learning  were  gratifying.  In 
ten  months  he  could  read  and  write  well. 
Sometime  after  he  became  serious,  he  was 
falsely  accused,  by  some  one  of  his  school- 
mates, of  doing  an  improper  act.  Conscious 
of  innocence,  he  could  not  well  brook  the 
charge.  That  evening  and  night  he  was 
missing,  and  the  next  morning  it  was  conclud- 
ed that  he  had  absconded.  But  in  the  course 
of  the  forenoon,  he  made  his  appearance, 
On  being  questioned  respecting  his  absence, 
he  made  this  reply  :  u  I  felt  angry,  and  knew 
that  it  was  wicked.  But  I  could  not  suppress 
it.  I  therefore  went  to  seek  the  Saviour,  that 
he  might  reconcile  my  heart."  It  appeared, 
that  he  had  spent  the  night  in  devotional  ex- 
ercises. He  was  at  length  admitted  to  the 
church,  and,  from  that  day  to  the  present,  has 
sustained  a  good  Christian  character.  He 
has  been  much  employed  as  an  interpreter, 
both  at  the  different  stations,  and  in  the  evan- 


CATHARINE    BROWN.  65 

gelical  labours  of  the  missionaries  in  various 
parts  of  the  nation. 

While  Mr.  Butrick  was  prosecuting  his  in- 
cipient labours  at  Creek-Path,  Catharine  and 
David  were  employing  themselves  diligently 
at  Brainerd.  Once,  in  particular,  it  is  re- 
corded, that,  after  a  prayer-meeting,  conduct- 
ed by  the  missionaries,  these  two  young  Cher- 
okees,  aided  by  a  pious  Indian  woman  of 
great  age,  collected  a  little  group  of  their 
people,  who  had  come  to  spend  the  Sabbath 
there,  and  held  a  religious  conference,  with 
prayer  and  praise,  all  in  the  Cherokee  lan- 
guage. 

These  united  labours  were,  however,  in- 
terrupted, on  the  11th  of  May,  never  to  be 
resumed,  by  the  departure  of  David  for  the 
Foreign  Mission  School  in  Cornwall,  Conn.  He 
left  Brainerd  only  a  few  days  after  his  admis- 
sion to  the  church. 

David  had  been  desirous,  for  some  time,  of 
being  fitted  to  preach  the  Gospel  to  his  coun- 
trymen, and  was  encouraged  to  aim  at  such  a 
preparation,  first  by  his  sister  Catharine,  and 
then  by  the  missionaries.  He  arrived  at  Corn- 
wall, sometime  in  the  summer;  was  connected 


66  MEMOIR    OF 

with  that  highly  favoured  school  about  tw« 
years;  was  then  removed  to  Andover,  Mass. 
where  he  remained  a  year,  and,  without  be- 
coming a  member  of  the  Theological  Institu- 
tion in  that  place,  enjoyed  many  of  its  distin- 
guished advantages.  In  consequence  of  the 
state  of  his  health,  and  of  the  great  need  of 
his  services  among  those  of  his  countrymen, 
who  reside  in  the  Arkansas  country,  he  re- 
turned to  them,  early  in  the  year  1324.  The 
addresses,  which  he  delivered  in  many  of 
our  principal  towns  and  cities,  on  the  wrongs 
and  claims  and  prospects  of  the  American  In- 
dians, will  not  soon  be  forgotten  by  those  who 
listened  to  them. 

Since  his  return,  a  letter  has  been  received, 
by  the  Corresponding  Secretary  of  the  Ame- 
rican Board,  which,  coming  from  one  so  near- 
ly related  to  Catharine,  and  giving  an  amiable 
view  of  her  family,  will  interest  the  reader. 

Point  Pleasant,  Arkansas,  Sept.  20,  1824. 
Pear  Sir, 

Long  before  this  time,  you  must  have  beard 
of  my  speedy  passage  from  Washington  City 
to  Arkansas,  and   of  my   delightful  and  joy- 


CATHARINE    BROWN.  67 

nil  meeting  with  my  brethren  and  kindred  ac- 
cording to  the  flesh.  My  father  and  mother 
embraced  me  with  tears.  We  were  unable  to 
converse,  for  more  than  an  hour:  our  mutual 
joy  was  so  great,  that  we  could  not  speak  for 
some  time.  My  friends  ran  as  far  as  they 
could  see  me,  in  order  to  meet  me,  and  em- 
brace me.  The  scene  was  somewhat  similar 
to  that  of  Jacob  meeting  with  his  beloved  son 
Joseph. 

I  was  glad  to  find  so  much  religious  feeling 
among  my  friends.  My  parents  are  very  use- 
ful in  this  country,  by  making  known  to  others 
the  way  of  salvation.  Since  my  arrival  I  have 
had  no  rest.  My  friends  and  relatives  are  so 
numerous,  that  I  am  constantly  on  a  visit. 
Dwight,  and  the  residence  of  my  brother 
Webber,  I  have  made  my  homes.  At  Dwight 
I  have  all  my  books.  On  the  Sabbath,  I  in- 
terpret English  sermons,  and  sometimes 
preach  myself  in  the  sweet  language  of 
Tsdllakee,  [the  Cherokee.]  Never  were 
there  greater  prospects  of  success  among 
the  Cherokees,  than  at  present. 

I  expect  to  revisit  my  mother-country  soon, 
©n  my  father's  business,  and  once  more  to  be 


68  MEMOIR   OF 

at  Brainerd,  and  Creek-Path,  beneath  the  tall 
trees  of  Tsu-saw-ya-wa-sah.  In  November 
and  December  please  to  write  me  at  Brain- 
erd, and  inform  me  whether  the  Board  can 
send  us  a  printer,  who  is  accomplished  in  his 
art.     Pray  send  us  one. 

My  fond  remembrance  to  your  family. 
Time  and  distance  can  never  erase  from  my 
bosom  the  marks  of  friendship  and  attention  I 
received  in  Boston.  David  Brown. 

About  the  time  of  David's  departure  for 
New  England,  Mr.  Butrick's  school,  at  Creek- 
Path,  had  so  increased  in  the  number  of  its 
scholars,  that  there  was  no  more  room  for 
the  admission  of  other  applicants.  The  peo- 
ple therefore  desired  another  school.  They 
said,  if  a  female  would  come  to  instruct  their 
daughters,  they  would  build  a  school-house  for 
her.  At  the  same  time,  it  was  evident,  that  a 
spirit  of  deep  seriousness  and  anxious  inquiry 
was  beginning  to  prevail  among  them. 

These  facts  being  known  at  Brainerd,  the 
missionaries  thought  it  their  duty  to  advise 
Catharine  to  go  and  take  charge  of  the  con- 


CATHARINE    BROWN.  69 

templated  school.  In  this  advice  she  acqui- 
esced, though  not  without  a  painful  diffidence 
of  her  qualifications  for  such  a  service.  When 
it  was  known  at  Creek-Path,  that  she  was  to 
take  charge  of  the  school,  the  most  enthusi- 
astic joy  was  occasioned  among  the  people. 
They  seemed  to  feel,  that  the  preparations 
could  not  be  made  too  soon.  Not  less  than 
fifty  Cherokee  men,  besides  negroes  and  boys, 
assembled  immediately  tobuild  a  house,  which, 
in  two  days,  was  nearly  completed  according 
to  their  stipulation. 

Every  thing  being  in  readiness,  Mr.  Brown 
came  for  his  daughter.  She  was  at  Taloney, 
the  missionary  station  where  her  friends  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Hall  resided,  and  he  waited  at  Brain- 
erd  for  her  return  ;  during  which  time  it  was 
perceived,  that  the  venerable  old  man  was 
anxiously  inquiring  after  the  truth.  On  the 
last  of  May  1820,  a  little  less  than  two  years 
and  eleven  months  from  her  first  entering  the 
school,*  as  an  untaught  heathen  girl,  Catha- 
rine bade  an  affectionate  adieu  to  Brainerd,  to 
take  charge  of  the  school  for  females  near 
her  paternal  home.  The  following  entry  was 
7 


70  MEMOIR    OF 

made  at  this  time,  in  the  journal  of  the  mis- 
sion. 

"31.  Catharine  left  us,  in  company  with 
her  father,  to  go  to  Creek-Path,  to  teach  a 
school  of  females. 

"  How  very  different  the  scene  from  that, 
which  passed  here  not  quite  two  years  since, 
when  her  father  required  her  to  leave  the 
society  of  Christians,  and  to  accompany  him 
to  the  then  dark  shades  of  the  Arkansas! 
Now,  he  does  not  ask  her  without  our  con- 
sent; will  not  take  her  except  by  our  advice; 
and  she  is  going,  not  into  the  wilderness  un- 
prepared to  teach,  but  into  a  place  where 
divine  light  has  already  begun  to  spring  up,  pre- 
pared, as  we  think,  to  instruct  others.  Yet,  it  is 
highly  probable,  that  this  removal  will  not  be 
productive  of  so  much  good  as  the  former. 
So  unsearchable  are  the  ways  of  God,  and  so 
incompetent  is  man  to  judge.  It  now  appears, 
that  her  first  removal  was  the  means  of  sow- 
ing the  seed,  which  is  now  springing  up  at 
Creek-Path  with  such  hopeful  promise." 

The  remaining  letters  written  during  the 
period  embraced  by  this  chapter,  will  now  be 
inserted.     The  first  was  originally  published 


CATHARINE    BROWN.  71 

at  the  close  of  the  narrative  of  the  "  Little 
Osage  Captive." 

TO  A  LADY  IN  CONNECTICUT. 

Brainerd,  Jan.  12,  1820. 
Dear  Sister  in  Christ, 

I  thank  you  much  for  your  affectionate  let- 
ter, which  I  received  on  the  23d  of  December. 
O,  how  great,  how  rich  is  the  mercy  of  our 
dear  Redeemer,  who  has  made  us  the  subjects 
of  his  kingdom,  and  led  us,  as  we  trust  from 
death  unto  life.  My  dear  sister,  I  can  never 
express  my  gratitude  to  God,  for  his  goodness 
towards  me,  and  my  dear  people.  Surely  it 
is  of  his  own  glorious  mercy,  that  he  is  sending 
to  us  the  Gospel  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  in  this  dis- 
tant land,  where  the  people  had  long  set  in 
darkness,  and  were  perishing  for  lack  of  the 
knowledge  of  God.  Blessed  be  his  holy  name! 
O  my  sister  let  us  rejoice  continually  in  our 
Lord  and  Saviour,  and  as  we  have  put  on 
Christ,  not  only  by  outward  profession,  but  by 
inward  and  spiritual  union,  let  us  walk  worthy 
of  our  high  and  holy  vocation,  and  shew  the 
world,  that  there  is  something  in  true  religion. 
And  may  the  Lord  give  us  strength  to  do  his 


12 


MEMOIR    OF 


will,  and  to  follow  continually  the  example  of 
our  meek  and  lowly  Jesus.  I  thank  you  for 
the  present  you  sent  me,  which  I  received  as 
a  token  of  love.  The  mission  family  are  all 
well,  and  also  the  dear  children.  Many  of 
them  are  serious,  and  we  hope  they  love  and 
pray  to  God  daily.  O  that  I  were  more  en- 
gaged for  God,  to  promote  his  cause,  among 
these  dear  children,  and  my  people.  I  am 
going  soon  to  visit  my  parents,  which  is  an 
hundred  miles  from  here,  and  expect  to  stay 
two  months.  I  hope  you  will  pray  for  me, 
that  the  Lord  would  bless  my  visit,  and  renew 
the  hearts  of  my  dear  parents. 
Your  sincere  friend  and  sister  in  Christ, 

Catharine  Brown. 


TO  MRS.  ISABELLA  HALL,  AT  TALONEY. 

Brainerd,  March  8,  1820. 
My  dear  Sister, 

It  is  with  pleasure  I  take  time  this  morning 
to  assure  you,  that  my  love  for  you  is  still  as 
great  as  ever.  You  cannot  tell  how  painful 
it  was  to  me  to  hear  that  you  had  been  sick. 
But  we  know,  that  the  Lord  is  good,  and  that 


CATHARINE    BROWN.  13 

all  things  will  work  together  for  good  to  those 
who  love  him,  and  put  their  whole  trust  in 
him.  O  could  we  see  each  other,  how  would 
we  talk,  and  weep,  and  sing,  and  pray  toge- 
ther. 

But  our  Heavenly  Father  has  separated 
us.  Perhaps  we  loved  each  other  more  than 
we  loved  him,  and  did  not  pray  to  him,  and 
praise  him,  and  thank  him,  as  we  ought  to 
have  done.  And  is  it  not  so,  dear  sister?  Did 
we  not  neglect  our  duty,  and  grow  cold  and 
careless,  when  we  were  together?  Now  we 
are  sorry,  and  the  Lord  will  forgive  us.  Still, 
dear  sister,  we  can  pray  for  each  other. 
Think  you  not  that  our  prayers  often  meet  at 
the  throne  of  grace?  O  then  let  us  pray  on, 
and  never  cease  to  pray  for  each  other,  while 
he  lends  us  breath  ;  and  when  we  meet  in 
heaven,  we  shall  see  him  whom  our  soul 
loveth. 

Let  us  praise  the  Lord  for  what  he  is  doing. 
My  dear  brother  David  is  now  rejoicing  in  his 
blessed  Redeemer.  He  has  a  great  desire  to 
do  good  among  our  people.  I  expect  he  will 
leave  us,  in  two  or  three  weeks,  for  Corn- 
wall, to  study  divinity,  and  prepare  to  preach 
#7 


74 


MEMOIR    OP 


the  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ.  I  do  hope  and 
pray  that  the  Lord  will  go  with  him,  and 
enable  him  to  do  much  good  in  the  world. 

He  and  myself  spent  seven  weeks  with  our 
dear  parents,  and  returned  to  school  the  last 
week.  I  hope  to  continue  here  some  time 
longer,  but  know  not  how  long.  My  dear 
mother  feels  that  she  cannot  spare  me  much 
longer,  I  wish  to  learn  as  much  as  I  can,  be- 
fore I  go. 

And  now,  my  dear  sister,  may  we  both  be 
faithful  to  our  Lord,  and  do  much  in  the 
world.  And  when  time  with  us  shall  be  no 
more,,  may  we  l)e  permitted  to  meet  in  that 
world,  where  Christians  will  be  collected  to 
sing  through  eternity  the  song  of  Bloses  and 
the  Lamb. 

From  your  sister 

Catharine  Brown. 


TO  HER  BROTHER  DAVID, 
While  on  his  way   to   New   England. 

Braintrd,  May  16,  1820. 
My  very  dear  Brother, 

I  cannot  express  my  feelings  this  evening, 
when  I  read  your  kind  letter.     My  heart  is 


CATHARINE    BROWN.  75 

full.     But  we  know,  dear  brother,  that  our 
Saviour  orders  all  things  right.     I   am  very 
sorry  to  hear  that  you  have  lost  your  horse. 
What   will   you  do  now?  But  let  us   not  be 
troubled  about  these  things.     If  it  is  best  that 
you  should  go  on,  the  Saviour  will  provide  for 
you   in  some   way.     Let   us  only,  my   dear 
brother,  put  our  whole   trust  in  God,  and  be 
humble  at  the  feet  of  Jesus.    We  can  do  noth- 
ing of  ourselves.     We  are  like  little  children. 
If  we  rely  on  our  own  strength,  we  shall  fall. 
It  is   impossible  for  me  to  express  what  I 
felt,  the  morning  you  left  us.     But  I  thought, 
that  if  I  should  never  see  you  again    in   this 
world,  I  should  meet  you  in  a  better,  where 
there  will  be  no  separation.     O  how    thank- 
ful we  ought  to  be  to  God,    who  has  brought 
us  from  darkness  into  the  light  of  the  Gospel 
But  many  of  our  dear  people   are  yet   de- 
prived of  this  great  privilege.     They  know 
not  the  Saviour,  whom  we  have  found  so  pre- 
cious. Yes,  even  our  dear  parents  are  yet  liv- 
ing without  any  hope  in  God.     O  my  brother, 
let  us  never  cease  to  pray  for  them.  God  will 
surely  hear  us,  if  we  ask  in  faith. 


76  MEMOIR    OF 

Dear  brother,  forget  me  not  in  your 
prayers.  Your  sister  C.  will  never  forget 
you.  When  you  are  far  from  this  place,  your 
poor  sister  C.  will  be  praying  for  you.  Good 
night,  dear  brother,  till  we  meet  again. 

Catharine  Brown, 


CATHARINE    BROWN.  77 


CHAPTER  IV. 

FROM  HER  TAKING  CHARGE  OF  A  SCHOOL  AT  CREEK- 
PATH,  UNTIL  HER  SICKNESS. 

Extracts  from  her  diary. — Her  school. — Con- 
version of  her  parents,  and  others  of  the  J am- 
ity.— She  and  her  family  visit  Brainerd. — 
Letter  from  the  chiefs  at  Creek  Path. — Traits 
in  Catharine's  character. — Further  extracts 
from  her  diary. — Eulogium  of  her  brother 
John. — She  visits  Huntsville. — Estimation  in 
'which  she  was  there  held. — Goes  to  reside 
with  her  parents. — Apprehensions  respecting 
her  health. — Goes  to  Brainerd  for  medical 
aid. — Returns. — Letters  to  differ  e?it  friends. 

We  now  enter  upon  the  last  three,  and  the 
most  interesting  years  of  Catharine's  life,  in 
which  we  shall  behold  her  in  new  circum- 
stances; her  character  more  fully  developed, 
and  her  graces  shining  with  greater  lustre. 


78  MEMOIR    OP 

In  order  that  she  may  speak  for  herself  as 
much  as  possible,  that  part  of  her  private 
diary  will  be  inserted,  which  was  saved  from 
the  destruction,  to  which  many  of  her  papers 
were  devoted,  a  little  before  her  sickness.  It 
was  obtained  from  Mrs.  Gilbreth,  a  sister  of 
Catharine,  and  a  faithful  copy  was  transmitted 
by  Mrs.  Potter,  the  wife  of  the  Rev.  William 
Potter,  missionary  at  Creek-Path. 


EXTRACTS  FROM  HER  DIARY. 

"Brainerd,  May  30,  1820.  Tomorrow 
morning  I  shall  leave  this  school,  perhaps 
never  to  return.  It  is  truly  painful  to  part 
with  my  dear  Christian  friends,  those,  with 
whom  I  have  spent  many  happy  hours  in  the 
house  of  worship.  1  must  bid  them  farewell. 
This  is  the  place,  where  I  first  became  ac- 
quainted with  the  dear  Saviour.  He  now  calls 
me  to  work  in  his  vineyard,  and  shall  I,  for 
the  sake  of  my  Christian  friends  and  of  my 
own  pleasures,  refuse  to  go,  while  many  erf 
my  poor  red  brothers  and  sisters  are  perish- 
ing for  lack  of  knowledge  ?  O  no.  I  will  not 
refuse  to  go.     I  will  go  wherever  the  Saviotfr 


GATHARINE    BROWN.  76 

calls  me.  I  know  he  will  be  on  my  right 
hand,  to  grant  me  all  the  blessings,  that  I  shall 
need,  and  he  will  direct  me  how  to  instruct 
the  dear  children,  who  shall  be  committed  to 
my  care. 

"31 .  This  morning  I  set  out  from  Brainerd, 
with  my  dear  father.  Travelled  about  twenty 
miles.  Thought  much  of  my  beloved  Chris- 
tian friends.  Whether  I  shall  ever  see  them, 
again,  is  uncertain.   The  Lord  only  knows. 

"June  2.  Have  been  very  sick  to  day;  but, 
blessed  be  God,  am  now  a  little  better.  Hope 
I  shall  be  able  to  travel  tomorrow.  The  Lord 
is  very  kind  and  merciful  to  all  those,  who 
put  their  trust  in  him.  Last  night  I  slept  on 
the  floor  without  any  bed.  £elt  quite  happy 
in  my  situation.  Though  very  sick  in  body, 
yet  I  trust  my  heart  was  well. 

u5.  Have  arrived  at  my  fathers,  but  am 
yet  very  unwell.  Have  a  bad  cold.  Am 
sometimes  afraid  I  shall  not  be  sible  to  teach 
school  at  Creek-Path.  We  ?lept  two  nights 
on  the  ground  with  our  wet  blankets,  before 
we  reached  our  home. 

"20.  Blessed  be  God,  who  has  again  re- 
stored me  to  health.     It  is  two  weeks  to-dav 


i 


80  memoir;  of 

since  I  commenced  teaching  a  girl's  school.  O 
how  much  I  need  wisdom  from  God.  I  am  a 
child.  1  can  do  nothing.  But  in  God  will  I 
trust,  for  I  know  there  is  none  else,  to  whom 
I  can  look  for  help. 

"Sept.  5.  This  day  I  received  a  letter  from 
brother  David.  I  rejoice  much  to  hear,  that 
he  has  arrived  safely  at  Cornwall.  May  the 
Lsrd  be  with  him,  and  make  him  useful  as 
long  as  he  lives,  and  at  death  may  he  be  re- 
ceived at  the  right  hand  of  God.  This  is  the 
prayer  of  his  affectionate  sister  Catharine." 

Before  proceeding  further  with  the  ex- 
tracts from  the  diary,  it  seems  proper  to  in- 
sert some  notices  not  found  in  that  docu- 
ment. 

Catharine  commenced  her  school  with 
about  twenty  scholars,  and  the  number  soon 
increased.  Not  only  the  daughters,  but  the 
mothers  also,  manifested  a  strong  desire  to  re- 
ceive instruction.  Several  of  her  pupils,  in 
consequence  of  previous  tuition,  could  read 
in  the  New  Testament,  when  they  came  un- 
der her  care.  These  it  was  her  delight  to 
lead  to  a  more  perfect  acquaintance  with  that 


CATHARINE    BROWN.  SI 

sacred  volume.  But  most  of  the  children 
began  with  the  rudiments  of  learning.  This 
school  she  continued  three  quarters  of  a  year, 
much  to  the  satisfaction  of  her  scholars,  their 
parents,  and  the  missionaries.  She  finally  re- 
linquished it  only  because  the  arrival  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Potter  gave  her  an  opportunity  to 
surrender  her  charge  into  other  hands,  and 
at  the  same  time  opened  the  way  for  her  pros- 
ecuting higher  studies,  with  a  view  to  greater 
usefulness  to  her  people. 

The  spirit  of  serious  inquiry  at  Creek  Path, 
to  which  there  was  an  allusion  at  the  close  of 
the  last  chapter,  increased  after  the  arrival  of 
Catharine,  especially  among  her  own  kindred. 
Doubtless  she  was  not  backward,  with  the 
meekness  of  humility  and  with  the  earnest- 
ness of  affection,  to  warn  and  exhort.  And 
she  had  the  joy  of  beholding  her  father, 
mother,  a  brother,  and  two  or  three  sisters, 
unitedly  seeking  the  pardon  of  their  sins,  and 
that  peace,  which  the  world  giveth  not.  After 
a  suitable  trial,  and  due  instruction,  all  these 
her  relatives,  with  others  of  their  country- 
men, publicly  professed  faith  in  Christ,  and 
were  united  to  his  visible  Church. 


82  MEMOIR    OF 

It  is  gratifying  to  be  able  to  remark,  that 
no  one  of  them  has  hitherto  dishonoured  the 
Christian  profession,  and  that  all  who  survive, 
are  believed  to  be  the  humble  followers  of  the 
Lord  Jesus.  One  has  "fallen  asleep,"  and  of 
him  an  affectionate  record  will  be  found  in  the 
diary  of  Catharine. 

Shortly  after  the  last  paragraph  extracted 
from  her  diary  was  written,  nearly  the  whole 
family  made  a  visit  to  Brainerd.  The  hearts 
of  the  missionaries  were  made  glad,  by  the 
sight  of  this  little  band;  and  oh!  how  must  the 
heart  of  Catharine  have  exulted  with  joy, while 
she  presented  her  beloved  relatives,  one  after 
another,  as  the  friends  and  followers  of  her 
blessed  Saviour! 

It  will  be  remembered  that  a  letter  from 
the  chiefs  at  Creek-Path,  desiring  the  mis- 
sionaries to  establish  a  school  among  them, 
was  inserted  in  the  last  chapter.  Mr.  Brown 
was  now  the  bearer  of  another  letter  from 
the  same  chiefs,  signed  by  their  Chairman, 
or  Speaker,  in  which  they  thus  express  their 
approbation  of  the  school,  and  their  good 
wishes  with  respect  to  missionary  efforts: 


CATHARINE  BROWN.  83 

"Friends  and  Brothers, 

"We  are  glad  to  inform  you,  that  we  are 
well  pleased  with  Mr.  Butrick,  who  has  come 
forward  as  a  teacher  to  instruct  our  people. 
We  believe  he  does  discharge  his  duty;  and 
we  hope  his  coming  will  be  of  great  advantage 
to  our  people.  Our  wish  is,  that  you  may 
prosper  throughout  our  nation,  in  your  lauda- 
ble undertaking.  It  is  out  of  our  power  to  see 
you,  in  any  short  time,  on  account  of  the  Na- 
tional Council,  and  other  business  we  are 
obliged  to  attend  at  this  time.  It  is  our  wish 
that  the  school  should  continue  at  this  place. 
Mr.  John  Brown,  sen.  will  deliver  this,  who 
will  present  you  our  hands  in  friendship.  We 
hope  we  shall  see  each  other  before  long. 
We  are  glad  to  see  our  children  advancing  so 
well.  We  conclude  with  our  best  respects. 
Wau-sau-sev,  Bear-meat,  Speaker." 

Here  some  remarks  may  properly  be  intro- 
duced, on  the  traits  of  character,  which  Catha- 
rine exhibited,  during  a  part  of  the  time  em- 
braced in  her  diary.  These  remarks  are  taken 
from  the  letter  of  Mrs.  Potter,  which  enclosed 
that  document. 


34  MEMOIR    OF 

"In  the  spring  of  1821,  while  making  the 
necessary  preparations  for  a  settlement  at 
Creek-Path,  Mr.  Potter  and  myself,  for  two 
months,  made  Mr.  Brown's  house  our  home. 
Here  we  had  an  opportunity  of  noticing 
Catharine's  daily  deportment,  as  a  member  of 
the  domestic  circle. 

"For  sweetness  of  temper,  meekness,  gen- 
tleness, and  forbearance,  1  never  saw  one,  who 
surpassed  her.  To  her  parents  she  was  un- 
commonly dutiful  and  affectionate.  Nothing, 
which  could  contribute  to  their  happiness, 
was  considered  a  burden;  and  her  plans  were 
readily  yielded  to  theirs,  however  great  the 
sacrifice  to  her  feelings.  The  spiritual  inter- 
ests of  the  family  lay  near  her  heart,  and  she 
sometimes  spent  whole  evenings  in  conversa- 
tion with  them  on  religious  subjects. 

"Before  our  arrival,  she  had  established  a 
weekly  prayer-meeting  with  the  female  mem- 
bers of  the  family,  which  was  also  improved  as 
an  opportunity  for  reading  the  word  of  God, 
and  conversing  upon  its  important  truths. 
Such  was  her  extreme  modesty,  that  she  did 
not  make  this  known  to  me,  until  more  than  a 
week  after  my  arrival;  and  the  usual  period 


CATHARINE  BROWN.  S5 

had  passed  without  a  meeting.  She  at  length 
overcame  her  diffidence,  and  informed  me 
what  their  practice  had  been,  in  a  manner  ex- 
pressive of  the  most  unfeigned  humility.  These 
meetings  were  continued  while  we  remained 
in  the  family,  and  I  believe  they  were  highly 
useful.  A  monthly  prayer-meeting  among 
the  sisters  of  the  church  was  soon  after  estab^ 
lished,  in  which  Catharine  took  a  lively  inter- 
est; nor  did  she  ever  refuse,  when  requested,'to 
take  an  active  part  in  the  devotional  exercises. 

"Soon  after  we  removed  to  our  station, 
Catharine  became  a  member  of  our  family, 
and  of  the  school.  All  her  energies  were 
now  bent  towards  the  improvement  of  her 
mind,  with  a  view  to  future  usefulness  among 
her  people.  Both  in  school,  and  in  the  family, 
her  deportment  was  such  as  greatly  to  endear 
her  to  our  hearts,  and  she  was  most  tenderly 
loved  by  all  the  children. 

"She  was  not  entirely  free  from  the  inad- 
vertences of  youth;  but  always  received  re- 
proof with  great  meekness,  and  it  never  failed 
to  produce  the  most  salutary  effect. 

"She  was  deeply  sensible  of  the  many  fa- 
vours she  had  received  from  Christian  friends, 
*8 


S6  MEMOIR   OF 

and  often,  in  the  strongest  terms,  expressed 
her  gratitude. 

"She  was   zealous  in  the   cause  of  Christ, 
and  laboured  much   to  instruct    her  ignorant 
people  in  the  things,  that  concern  their  ever- 
lasting peace.     The  advancement  of  the  Re- 
deemer's kingdom  was  to  her  a  subject  of  deep 
interest,  and  she  read  accounts  of  the  triumphs 
of  the  cross  in  heathen  countries,  with  pecul- 
iar delight.  Not  many  months  after  we  settled 
here,  a  plan  was    devised    to   form  a   female 
charitable   society.     This  plan  was  proposed 
to  Catharine.     She  was  much    pleased   with 
it,  and  spared  no  pains  to  explain  it  to  the  un- 
derstandings of  her    Cherokee  friends.     And 
so   successful    were    her  exertions,    that,    at 
the  meeting  for  the  formation  of  the   Society, 
at  which  a  considerable  number  were  present, 
not  one  refused  to   become  a    member.     For 
the  prosperity  of  this   Society  she  manifested 
the   most  tender  concern  till  her  death;  and 
she    had    determined,    if  her   life  should  be 
spared  to  reach  the  Arkansas   country,  to  use 
her  exertions  to  form  a  similar  Society  there."* 

*  This  Society  first  sent  its  annual  collections  fo  the  mission  at 
Dwi^ht,  in  the  Arkansas.    But  the  last  year  tlieir  collection  was  de- 


CATHARINE    BROWN.  87 

The  extracts  from    the  diary   will  now  be 

resumed,    and    will     be    continued  without 
interruption. 


EXTRACTS     FROM     HER     DIARY. 

"Creek- Path  May  1,  1821.  Commenced 
boarding  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Potter.  My 
parents  live  two  miles  from  this  place.  I 
think  I  shall  visit  them  almost  every  week, 
and  they  will  come  to   see  me  often. 

u  2.  I  love  to  live  here  much.  It  is  re- 
tired, and  a  good  place  for  study.  Every 
thing  looks  pleasant  around  the  school-house. 
The  trees  are  covered  with  green  leaves,  and 
the  birds  sing  very  sweetly.  How  pleasant 
it  is  to  be  in  the  woods,  and  hear  the  birds 
praising  the  Lord.  They  remind  me  of  the 
divine  command,  'Remember  thy  Creator.' 
O  may  I  never  be  so  stupid  and  senseless  [as 
to  forget  my  Creator,]  but    may  I  remember 


voted  to  the  spread  of  the  Gospel  among  the  Osages.  The  Cherokee 
•woman,  who  proposed  the  resolution  to  appropriate  the  money  in  this 
way,  observed  to  the  Society,  "The  Bible  tells  us  to  do  good  to  our 
enemies,  and  I  believe  the  Osages  are  the  greatest  enemies  the  Chero- 
kees  have."   The  sum  was  about  ten  dollars. 


88  MEMOIR    OF 

to  love  and  serve  him,  the  few  days  I  live  in 
this  world;  for  the  time  will  soon  come,  when 
I  must  appear  before  him.  Help  me,  Lord, 
to  live  to  thy  glory,  even  unto  the  end  of  my 
life. 

aI  think  I  feel  more  anxious  to  learn,  and  to 
understand  the  Bible  perfectly,  than  I  ever 
did  before.  Although  I  am  so  ignorant,  the 
Saviour  is  able  to  prepare  me  for  useful- 
ness among  my  people. 

"5.  Saturday  evening.  Again  I  am  brought 
to  the  close  of  another  week.  How  have  I 
spent  my  time  the  past  week?  Have  I  done 
any  thing  for  God,  and  any  good  to  my  fel- 
low creatures?  I  fear  I  have  done  nothing  to 
glorify  his  holy  name.  Oh,  how  prone  I  am 
to  sin,  and  to  grieve  the  Spirit  of  a  holy  God, 
who  is  so  kind  in  giving  me  time  to  prepare 
for  heaven.  May  I  improve  these  precious 
moments  to  the  glory  of  my  God. 

"6.  Sabbath  evening.  How  thankful  1 
ought  to  be  to  God,  that  he  has  permitted  me 
once  more  to  commemorate  the  love  of  a 
Saviour,  who  has  shed  his  precious  blood  for 
the  remission  of  sin.  It  was  indeed  a  solemn 
season  to   me,  and  I  hope  refreshing  to  each 


CATHARINE    BROWN.  89 

of  our  souls.  While  sitting  at  the  table,  I 
thought  of  many  sins,  which  I  had  committed 
against  God,  through  my  life,  and  how  much 
I  deserved  to  be  cast  out  from  his  presence 
forever.  But  the  Son  of  God,  who  was 
pleased  to  come  down  from  the  bosom  of  his 
Father,  to  die  on  the  cross  for  sinners  like 
me,  will,  I  hope,  save  me  from  death,  and  at 
last  raise  me  to  mansions  of  eternal  rest, 
where  I  shall  sit  down  with  my  blessed  Jesus. 
"8.  This  evening  I  have  nothing  to  com- 
plain of,  but  my  unfaithfulness  both  to  God 
and  my  own  soul.  Have  not  improved  my 
precious  moments  as  I  ought.  Have  learned 
but  little  in  school,  though  my  privileges  are 
greater  than  those  of  many  others.  While 
they  are  ignorant  of  God,  and  have  no  op- 
portunity to  hear  or  learn  about  him,  I  am 
permitted  to  live  with  the  children  of  God, 
where  I  am  instructed  to  read  the  Bible,  and 
to  understand  the  character  of  Jesus.  O  may 
I  be  enabled  to  follow  the  example  of  my 
teachers,  to  live  near  the  Saviour,  and  to  do 
much  good.  I  wish  very  much  to  be  a  mis- 
sionary among  my  people.     If  I   had  an  edu- 


90  MEMOIR    OF 

cation but  perhaps  I  ought  not  to  think  of 

it.     I  am  not  worthy  to  be  a  missionary. 

"14.  Mr.  Hoyt  called  on  us  this  week,  on 
his  return  from  Mayhew.  He  gives  us  much 
interesting  intelligence  respecting  the  Choc- 
taw mission.  Mr.  Hoyt  expected  to  have 
brought  Dr.  Worcester  with  him,  but  he  was 
too  sick  to  travel,  and  was  obliged  to  stay 
behind.  He  hopes  to  be  able  to  come  on 
soon.  I  long  to  see  him.  He  has  done  a 
great  deal  towards  spreading  the  Gospel,  not 
only  in  this  nation,  but  in  other  heathen  na- 
tions of  the  earth.  May  the  Lord  restore  his 
health,  that  he  may  see  some  fruits  among 
the  heathen,  for  whom  he  has  been  so  long 
labouring. 

"29.  This  day  1  spent  my  time  very  pleas- 
antly at  home  with  my  dear  friends.  Find 
that  brother  John  is  the  same  humble  be- 
liever in  Jesus,  walking  in  the  Christian  path. 
I  am  truly  happy  to  meet  my  dear  parents 
and  sisters  in  health,  and  rejoicing  in  the 
hope  of  eternal  glory.  O  may  God  ever  de- 
light to  bless  them,  and  to  pour  his  Spirit 
richly  into  their  hearts.  I  am  much  pleased 
to   see     them   making  preparations   for  the 


CATHARINE     BROWN.  91 

Sabbath.  They  have  been  engaged  to-day 
in  preparing  such  food,  &c.  as  they  thought 
would  be  wanting  to-morrow.  I  think  brother 
John  and  sister  Susannah  have  done  much 
good  here  with  respect  to  the  Sabbath. 

"30.  This  day  attended  another  solemn 
meeting  in  the  house  of  God.  Mr.  Potter 
preached  by  an  interpreter.  I  think  more 
people  than  usual  attended.  All  seemed  at- 
tentive to  hear  the  word  of  God.  Mr.  P. 
spoke  of  the  importance  of  keeping  the 
Sabbath  holy.  1  hope  it  will  not  be  in  vain 
to  all  those  who  were  present. 

June  4.  This  day  being  the  first  Monday  in 
the  month,  the  people  met  to  pray  and  receive 
religious  instruction.  It  was  truly  an  inter- 
esting time.  The  congregation,  though  .-mall, 
was  serious.  One  man  and  his  wife,  who 
have  been  for  some  time  in  an  anxious  state 
of  mind  remained  alter  the  meeting,  and  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  P.  earnestly  entreated  them  to  seek 
the  Lord  while  he  was  near  unto  them.  They 
appeared  very  solemn,  and  said  they  wished 
to  know  more  about  God,  that  they  might 
serve  him  the  rest  of  their  days.  We  hope 
and  pray,  that  they   may  be  truly   converted, 


92  MEMOIR    OF 

and  become  our  dear  brother  and  sister  in  the 
Lord. 

"  July  1.  This  day  I  have  enjoyed  much. 
Was  permitted  once  more  to  sit  down  at  the 
table  of  the  Lord,  and  commemorate  his  dy- 
ing love.  O  how  good  is  the  Saviour  in 
permitting  me  to  partake  of  his  grace.  May 
I  improve  my  great  privileges  in  the  manner 
I  shall  wish  I  had  done,  when  I  come  to  leave 
the  world. — P.  M.  Went  to  Mr.  G.'s,  where 
Mr.  Potter  preaches  once  in  two  weeks. 
Most  of  the  people  present  were  whites,  from 
the  other  side  of  the  river.  It  was  pleasant 
to  hear  a  sermon  preached  without  an  inter- 
preter. 

uSept.  2.  Think  I  have  had  a  good  time 
to-day,  in  praying  to  my  heavenly  Father.  I 
see  nothing  to  trouble  me,  but  my  own  wicked 
heart.  It  appears  to  me,  that  the  more  I 
wish  to  serve  God,  the  more  I  sin.  I  seem 
never  to  have  done  any  thing  good  in  the 
sight  of  God.  But  the  time  is  short,  when  I 
shall  be  delivered  from  this  body  of  sin,  and 
enter  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 

"3.  The  first  Monday  in  the  month.  No 
^oubt   many   Christians   have   been  this  day 


CATHARINE    BROWN.  93 

praying  for  my  poor  nation,  as  well  as  for 
other  heathen  nations  of  the  earth.  O  why 
do  I  live  so  little  concerned  for  my  own  soul, 
and  for  the  souls  of  others?  Why  is  it  that  I 
pray  no  more  to  God?  Is  it  because  he  is  not 
merciful?  Oh  no.  He  is  good,  kind,  merci- 
ful, always  ready  to  answer  the  prayers  of  his 
children.  O  for  more  love  to  my  Saviour 
than  I  now  have. 

"4.  I  am  now  with  my  sister,  with  whom  I 
expect  to  spend  a  few  days.  I  hope  the  Lord 
will  make  our  communion  sweet. 

"Visited  at  Mr.  — :s,  but  had  no  opportunity 
of  conversing  with  Mrs. on  religious  sub- 
jects, as  we  intended  to  have  done.  Mr.  

said  he  had  seen  so  many  different  ways  among 
professed  Christians,  that  it  was  hard  to  tell 
who  was  right.  I  felt  too  ignorant  to  instruct 
such  a  well  educated  man;  though  I  knew,  that 
there  is  but  one  way  under  heaven,  whereby 
men  can  be  saved,  and  that  is,  by  coming  to 
Him,  who  came  to  seek  and  to  save  that  which 
was  lost. 

"9.    Returned  yesterday    from  sister  G's. 
Found  the  mission   family  in  good  health.     I 
cannot  express  how  much  I  love  the  mission- 
9 


94  MEMOIR    OF 

ries,  with  whom  I  live.  I  do  not  feel  my 
privileges,  until  I  am  away  from  them,  and 
mingle  with  worldly  people.  Then  I  long  to 
get  back  to  be  with  Christians. 

"I  rejoice  and  bless  my  heavenly  Father, 
that  he  has  kept  my  dear  brother  John,  and 
permitted  me  to  meet  him  once  more  in  the 
land  of  the  living.  I  am  sorry  to  see  him  so 
unwell,  and  fear  he  will  not  recover.  But  the 
Lord's  will  be  done,  and  not  mine.  I  know 
that  he  will  do  all  things  for  the  good  of  those 
who  love  him. 

"Left  home,  in  company  with  brother  John 
and  sister  Susannah,  [his  wife,]  for  the  pur- 
pose of  visiting  the  Sulphur  Springs  in  Blount 
county,  Alabama. 

"21.  About  noon  we  came  to  a  spring,  which 
is  said  to  possess  the  same  qualities  with  those 
we  intended  to  visit,  and  we  concluded  to 
make  it  the  place  of  our  abode  for  a  few 
days.  We  therefore  pitched  our  tent  a  few 
yards  from  the  water,  and  at  night  spread  our 
blankets  on  the  ground,  and  slept  very  well. 

"22.  Feel  very  uneasy  respecting  my  bro- 
ther, he  is  so  unwell.  May  the  Lord  be  with 
us  in  this  lonely  place. 


CATHARINE    BROWN-  95 

"23.  Brother  John  drinks  the  water,  and 
bathes  in  it,  but  has  yet  received  no  benefit. 
I  do  not  feel  so  well  as  I  did  before  I  came 
here,  and  almost  wish  to  return  immediately. 
Perhaps  it  is  lying  on  the  ground,  that 
makes  me  feel  sick.  But  if  brother  John  had 
a  comfortable  place  to  sleep,  I  should  not  care 
for  myself.  The  Lord  knows  what  is  best 
for  us. 

"24.  We  expect  a  boy  with  our  horses  to- 
day, and  hope  to  reach  home  tomorrow.  Saw 
Mr.  J.  R.  to-day  in  a  very  low  state  of  health. 
Conversed  with  him  a  little  on  the  subject  of 
religion.  This  I  really  felt  was  my  duty,  as 
I  thought  it  likely  I  should  never  have  an- 
other opportunity.  He  said,  he  was  very 
wicked,  and  afraid  to  die.  I  told  him  we 
were  all  wicked,  but  the  Saviour,  who  was 
willing  to  die  for  us,  would  pardon  our  sins, 
if  we  would  only  give  ourselves  to  him.  He 
replied,  that  when  he  was  in  health,  he  did 
not  do  his  duty  towards  God,  but  if  he  reco- 
vered he  would  try  to  do  better.  As  he  was 
not  able  to  converse  much,  1  commended  him 
to  God,   and   left  him.     God  is  able  to  make 


96  MEMOIR    OF 

him  his  dear  child,  and  to  prepare  him  for 
heaven. 

"Jan.  3,  1822.  This  was  truly  a  solemn 
and  interesting  day  to  me,  one  which  will 
never  be  forgotten.  My  dear  father  and  mo- 
ther were  baptised  in  the  name  of  the  Holy 
Trinity.  How  kind  is  our  Creator,  in  his 
willingness  to  take  notice  of  us  sinful  worms 
of  the  dust,  and  allowing  us  to  become  ac- 
quainted with  Jesus  Christ.  O  may  we  walk 
close  with  God,  and  be  enabled  to  set  such  an 
example  to  others,  that  they  may  be  led  to 
glorify  our  Father,  who  is  in  heaven. 

"14.  Have  not  attended  school  since  last 
vacation,  having  been  at  home  taking  care  of 
my  sick  brother.  He  has  failed  very  fast, 
the  past  week.  I  fear  he  will  not  live  many 
days.     The  will  of  the  Lord  be  done. 

"16.  My  dear  brother  is  very  low.  Per- 
haps he  will  soon  depart  from  this  sinful 
world,  and  fly  to  the  arms  of  his  blessed  Re- 
deemer. Had  some  conversation  with  him  in 
the  evening.  His  mind  seemed  to  be  in  a 
happy  state.  He  asked  me,  whether,  after 
his  decease,  I  thought  we  should  stay  here, 
or  go  to  the  Arkansas.     I   told   him   I   hoped 


CATHARINE      BROWN.  97 

he  would  be  restored  to  health.  He  said  he 
thought  that  was  very  doubtful,  and  added, 
that  he  thought  brother  Webber  would  come 
for  us  after  his  departure.  My  heart  was 
full.     I  could  make  no  reply. 

u18.  Mr.  Butrick  and  John  Arch,  who  have 
been  visiting  us  for  a  few  days  past,  left  us 
this  morning,  with  the  intention  of  going 
through  the  nation,  preaching  Jesus  Christ  to 
those,  who  are  in  darkness.  This  will  pro- 
bably take  three  months.  May  the  Lord  go 
with  his  dear  servants  on  their  long  journey 
through  the  wilderness,  and  bless  their  labours 
to  many  immortal  souls.  I  cannot  sufficiently 
express  my  gratitude  to  God,  for  sending  out 
missionaries  to  this  distant  land,  that  we,  who 
were  wanderers  in  the  wild  woods,  might  find 
the  road  to  heaven.  How  kindly  are  they 
inviting  us  to  come  and  partake  of  the  rich 
feast,  which  has  been  provided  for  all  who  will 
accept  it.  Yet  how  few  are  willing  to  com- 
ply with  the  invitation!  Frequently  do  I  weep 
for  my  Cherokee  brothers  and  sisters,  when 
I  consider  their  awful  situation  while  out  of 
Christ ;  and  willingly  would  I  offer  myself 
for  their  assistance,  were  I  qualified  for  a  re- 
*9 


93  MEMOIR    OP 

ligious  teacher.  I  hope  God  will  prepare  me 
to  do  some  good  among  the  heathen.  0  that 
it  may  be  my  greatest  desire  to  do  the  will  of 
my  heavenly  Father.  I  am  determined  to 
pray  for  my  people,  while  God  lends  me 
breath ;  and  when  I  die,  may  my  Saviour  re- 
ceive me  to  my  heavenly  home,  to  join  with 
millions  of  saints  in  singing  the  praises  of  re- 
deeming love  through  a  never-ending  eternity. 

"29.  Eternity  seems  near.  A  few  days- 
more,  and  if  I  am  indeed  a  child  of  God,  I 
shall  walk  the  golden  streets  of  the  New 
Jerusalem.  O  happy  day,  when  I  shall  see 
all  the  Christians,  who  have  ever  lived,  and 
when  God  himself  shall  be  my  joy. 

"30.  Brother  John  is  senseless  most  of  the 
time.  1  fear  he  is  to  remain  but  a  little  while 
in  this  world.  But  in  that  case  he  will  soon 
go  to  his  Father  in  heaven.  May  we  be  sub- 
missive, knowing  that  he,  who  sent  us  into  this 
world,  has  a  right  to  call  us  hence  whenever 
he  sees  best.  Our  great  consolation  is,  that 
our  dear  brother  will  soon  be  freed  from 
pain,  and  rest  in  the  bosom  of  his  dear  Jesus. 

"31.  Had  the  pleasure   of  seeing  Mr.  and 


CATHARINE    BROWN.  99 

Mrs.  Potter  at  this  place.     I  love  them,  as 
my  own  brother  and  sister. 

"Feb.  2.  My  dear  brother  very  sick.  O 
thou  blessed  Jesus,  take  him  not  away  by 
this  sickness.  Restore  him  to  health,  that  he 
may  live  long,  and  be  a  great  blessing  to  our 
nation.  But  O  may  I  be  submissive  to  thy 
holy  will. 

"Sabbath  morning.  Painful  is  it  to  record, 
that  my  dear  brother  John  appears,  this  day, 
to  be  on  the  borders  of  eternity  !  Lord,  come 
near  to  us  at  this  time.  Help  us  to  give  up 
our  dear  brother  into  thy  hands. 

"Evening.  Brother  John  is  no  more  !  O 
distressing  thought,  he  has  gone  to  return  no 
more!  But  we  shall  soon  go  to  him.  I  trust, 
indeed,  we  have  much  reason  to  believe  he 
has  gone  to  Christ  his  Saviour.  Through 
his  sickness  he  seemed  reconciled  to  the  will 
of  God,  and  said  he  was  not  afraid  to  die.  He 
said,  that  though  his  sufferings  were  great, 
they  were  nothing  in  comparison  with  Christ's 
sufferings.  About  a  week  before  he  died,  he 
spoke  to  the  family  as  follows : — "  It  is  now 
more  than  a  year  since  we  began  to  follow 
Christ,  and  what  have  we  done  for  him  ?  Do 


100  MEMOIR    OF 

we  live  like  Christians  ?  I  fear  we  do  not.  i 
do  not  hear  you  talk  to  the  people  about  our 
Saviour,  when  they  come  to  visit  you.  We 
are  professors  of  religion,  and  why  is  it  that 
we  do  not  show  it  to  others  ?  You  should 
always  remember  to  keep  the  Sabbath  holy. 
You  are  too  much  occupied  in  domestic  con- 
cerns on  the  Sabbath,  so  that  you  cannot  get 
time  to  converse  about  God.'  He  asked  me, 
if  the  missionaries  did  their  cooking  on  the 
Sabbath.  1  told  him,  their  preparations 
were  made  before  the  Sabbath.  He  said, 
<■  that  is  what  we  ought  to  do.'  He  frequently 
requested  me  to  read  and  explain  the  Bible 
to  him,  which  was  my  great  delight.'" 

Here  ends  her  diary.  And  the  reader 
will  doubtless  wish  that  all  had  been  saved, 
breathing,  as  it  does,  so  much  good  sense  and 
unfeigned  piety. 

Of  her  brother  John,  the  journal  of  the 
mission  at  Brainerd  contains  the  following 
eulogium,  penned  on  hearing  of  his  death. 

"Two  years  ago  he  was  in  heathenish  dark- 
ness. About  that  time,  his  brother  and  sister 
told  him  of  the  Bible,  and  some  of  the  impor- 


CATHARINE    BROWN.  101 

tant  truths  it  contained;  and  he  soon  felt  an 
unconquerable  desire  to  read  it.  He  could 
then  talk  and  understand  familiar  English. 
Soon  after,  a  school  was  opened  in  his  neigh- 
bourhood, and  he  applied  himself,  with  the 
most  unwearied  diligence,  to  study.  In  the 
course  of  six  months,  he  learned  to  read  in- 
telligibly; read  the  New  Testament  through 
once,  and  about  half  through  again;  wrote  a 
number  of  legible  letters  to  his  friends;  be- 
came a  hopeful  convert  to  the  Christian  reli- 
gion, and  a  member  of  the  Church  of  Christ, 
which  he  continued  to  adorn  by  an  exemplary 
life,  till  his  departure  from  these  dark  and 
afflictive  scenes,  to  join,  as  we  trust,  the 
Church  of  the  first-born  in  heaven." 

Soon  after  the  decease  of  this  brother,  Ca- 
tharine accompanied  her  father  to  Hunts- 
ville,  in  the  state  of  Alabama. 

Here,  either  at  that  time,  or  later  in  the 
season,  she  spent  two  or  three  months,  in  the 
family  of  Dr.  Alexander  A.  Campbell,  a  pious 
and  esteemed  physician.  Dr.  Campbell  had 
seen  her  at  her  father's  house  before  she 
went  to  Brainerd,  and  was  so  favourably  im- 
pressed, by  her  personal  appearance,  that  he 


102  MEMOIR    OF 

subsequently  procured  for  her  a  Bible,  and 
some  other  religious  books,  which  were  for- 
warded, but  never  received. 

Nearly  five  years  had  elapsed  since  that 
interview.  Dr.  Campbell's  own  words,  ex- 
tracted from  his  letter  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Potter 
of  Creek-Path,  shall  describe  the  impression, 
which  she  now  made  upon  him,  and  upon 
others  in  Huntsville. 

"  She  was  not  now  the  wild,  untutored  girl 
she  was  then.     She  was  graceful  and  polite, 
and   humility  and  benevolence  beamed  from 
her  countenance.     Some  of  my  acquaintance 
were  unwilling  to  believe  she  was  an  Indian. 
"At  your  request,  I  returned  with  her  to 
her  nation  to  see  a  diseased  Indian  child,  and 
though  it  was  at  the   expense  of  neglecting 
important  professional  business,  I  was  amply 
repaid,  by  the  interesting  conversation  I  had 
with  her,  on  literary  and  religious  subjects. 

"At  first,  she  was  backward  to  enter  into 
free  conversation.  A  diffident  reserve  was  a 
prominent  trait  in  her  character.  But  when 
we  became  well  acquainted,  I  found  her  per- 
fectly agreeable  and  intelligent  on  any  ordi- 
nary subject.     But  her  favourite  theme  was 


CATHARINE    BROWN.  103 

the  Saviour.  She  dwelt  much,  also,  on  the 
situation  of  her  people,  and  manifested  the 
greatest  solicitude  for  their  spiritual  interests; 
often  expressing  the  hope,  that  I  would  come 
and  live  among  them,  and  teach  them  re- 
specting the  Lord  Jesus. 

"During  the  summer  of  this  year,  she  spent 
several  months  in  my  family.  A  part  of  that 
time  she  was  suffering  very  severely  from  a 
bilious  fever,  which  she  bore  with  all  possible 
patience  and  resignation,  never  showing  that 
peevishness  and  fretfulness  so  common  in 
persons  recovering  from  that  disease.  She 
always  looked  upon  her  afflictions  as  resulting 
from  the  chastising  hand  of  God,  and  design- 
ed for  her  improvement. 

"She  received  very  marked  attentions  from 
the  visitors  at  my  house,  and  many  of  the 
principal  families  in  the  town  sought  an  ac- 
quaintance with  her,  appeared  sensible  of  her 
worth,  and  esteemed  her  friendship  highly. 
These  attentions,  so  far  from  exciting  her 
vanity,  had  the  effect  to  humble  her  the  more. 
She  appeared  ever  to  think  much  less  highly 
of  herself,  than  others  thought  of  her.  I  have 
often  been  astonished  to  see  how  the  flatter- 


104  MEMOIR    OF 

ing  addresses  and  high  encomiums  of  people 
of  elevated  standing  in  society,  seemed  to 
render  her  more  distrustful  of  her  own 
worth." 

This,  though  evidently  the  warm  language 
of  friendship,  is  justified  by  the  concurrent 
testimony  of  all  the  intimate  friends  of  Catha- 
rine. 

In  September  1822,  at  the  earnest  request 
of  her  parents,  she  left  the  family  of  Mr. 
Potter  to  reside  with  them.  Being  engaged, 
at  that  time,  in  some  favourite  studies,  it 
was  a  great  trial  to  leave  the  school.  But 
so  tender  was  her  regard  for  her  aged  pa- 
rents, that  she  made  not  the  least  objection. 

Near  the  close  of  the  year  1822,  the  Rev. 
Reynolds  Bascom,  accompanied  by  several 
Indian  youth  from  the  Foreign  Mission  School 
at  Cornwall,  arrived  at  Creek-Path,  on  his 
way  to  Elliot,  where  he  designed  to  spend 
a  few  months  in  missionary  labour. 

"Here,"  says  Mr.  Bascom,  "I  had  an  oppor- 
tunity of  seeing  the  precious  fruits  of  mis- 
sionary instruction  and  divine  grace,  in  the 
intelligence,  amiable  manners,  and  Christian 
temper,  of  Catharine,  and  other  members  of 


CATHARINE    BROWN.  105 

the  little  church  which  had  been  formed  in 
the  place,  chiefly  among  her  family  con- 
nexions. 

"The  impression  made  on  my  mind  by  my 
first  interview,  which  was  at  her  father's 
house,  was  that  of  uncommon  simplicity,  mo- 
desty and  meekness.  We  arrived  after  the 
family  had  dined,  and  she  received  us  and 
spread  a  table  for  our  refreshment,  with  the 
unaffected  kindness  of  a  sister.  The  grace- 
fulness of  her  figure,  and  the  sweetness  of  her 
expression,  have  often  been  the  subject  of 
remark;  and  I  was  the  more  delighted  with 
her  humility,  as  I  greatly  feared  I  should 
discover  an  unhappy  influence  from  the  mis- 
judged praise,  which  had  been  heaped  upon 
her.  The  fact  was,  she  gave  me  evidence, 
by  her  habitual  behaviour,  of  being  a  sancti- 
fied child  of  God." 

It  was  soon  after  her  removal  to  her  pater- 
nal home,  that  the  disease,  the  seeds  of  which 
had,  probably  for  several  years,  been  germi- 
nating in  her  constitution,  began  to  assume  an 
aspect,  which  excited  some  alarm. 

In  consequence  of  this,  she  took  a  journey 
to  Brainerd,  in  February  1823,  with  the  view 
10 


106  MEMOIR    OF 

of  consulting  Dr.  Butler,  a  medical  gentleman 
residing  at  that  station.  She  hoped,  also,  to 
derive  benefit  from  the  journey.  These 
hopes  were  disappointed.  A  cold,  tempestu- 
ous storm  arose,  soon  after  she  left  home,  to 
the  whole  of  which  she  was  unavoidably  ex- 
posed ;  and  the  slight  cough,  to  which  she 
had,  for  some  time,  been  subject,  was  very 
much  increased.  She  spent  three  weeks  at 
Brainerd,  and  then  returned  to  Creek-Path, 
intending  to  obtain  permission  from  her  pa- 
rents to  place  herself  again  under  the  care  of 
Dr.  Butler.  But  her  increased  illness  render- 
ed her  unable  to  encounter  the  fatigues  of 
another  journey. 

The  narrative  must  now  be  interrupted,  in 
order  that  several  letters,  written  during  the 
time  embraced  by  this  chapter,  may  be  intro- 
duced. A  part  of  the  first,  and  the  fourth, 
were  published  in  the  narrative  of  the  "Lit- 
tle Osage  Captive."  The  third  made  its  first 
appearance  in  the  New  Haven  Religious  In- 
telligencer. 


CATHARINE     BROWN.  107 


TO  HER    BROTHER    DAVID,    AT    CORNWALL. 

Creek-Path,  Aug.  12,1320. 

My  dear  Brother, 

Your  dear  lines  I  received  this  evening, 
for  which  I  thank  you.  I  hope  they  will  not 
be  the  last  you  will  write  me.  O  dear  brother, 
how  much  it  would  rejoice  my  heart  to  see 
you  this  evening,  and  converse  with  you  face 
to  face!  But  our  good  Lord  has  separated  us, 
perhaps  never  to  see  each  other  again  in  this 
world.  I  often  think  of  the  morning  you  left 
Brainerd.  It  was  a  solemn  hou  .,  and  I  trust  it 
was  a  sweet  season  to  our  souls.  We  wept, 
and  prayed,  and  sung  together  before  our  dear 
Saviour:  and  longed  for  that  blessed  day,  when 
we  should  meet,  to  part  no  more.  What  is  a 
short  separation  in  this  world?  Nothing  com- 
pared to  an  eternal  separation!  How  thankful 
we  ought  to  be  then,  my  dear  brother,  that  we 
have  a  hope  to  be  saved  through  the  blessed 
Lamb  of  God.  Yes,  I  trust  when  our  bodies 
shall  die,  our  souls  shall  be  raised  above  the 
sky,  where  we  shall  dwell  together,  in  sing- 
ing the  praises  of  Him  who  bought  us  with  his 
precious  blood.     I  hope  we  shall  meet   our 


108  MEMOIR    OF 

parents,  and  brothers,  and  sisters  there.  Since 
you  left,  the  Lord  has  reached  down  his  arm, 
to  take  sinners  from  darkness,  into  the  mar- 
vellous light  of  the  Gospel.  Dear  brother,  let 
us  praise  and  rejoice  continually  in  the  Lord, 
for  his  goodness  to  our  dear  people,  in  giving 
them  hearts  to  love  and  praise  his  holy  name. 
Surely  the  Lord  is  with  us  here.  We  feel  his 
presence.  Our  dear  father  and  mother  are 
inquiring  what  they  shall  do  to  be  saved. 
Mother  says  she  is  grieved  to  think  her  chil- 
dren are  going  to  leave  her  behind.  But  she 
says  she  wiLSpray  as  long  as  she  lives,  and 
that  the  Saviour  will  pardon  her  sins,  that  she 
may  go  with  her  children  to  heaven. 

I  hope  you  will  write  to  our  parents  as  often 
as  you  can.  I  sometimes  think  the  Saviour 
has  given  them  new  hearts,  especially  our 
dear  father.     He  appears  quite  changed. 

Soon  after  you  left  Brainerd,  I  was  called 
here  to  take  charge  of  a  school  of  females, 
about  two  miles  from  home.  I  take  great 
delight  in  teaching.  The  number  of  girls  in 
school  is  twenty-eight.  They  are  very  good 
children,  and  learn  fast.     Sister  Anna  is  assist- 


CATHARINE    BROWN.  109 

ing  me  in  the  school.     She  rejoices  with  us  to 
hear  from  you  in  this  distant  land. 

O  dear  brother,  I  hope  you  will  pray 
for  me.  Pray  that  I  may  do  good  to  the  im- 
mortal souls  of  my  pupils.  Sometimes  the 
work  appears  too  great  for  me,  and  I  am  al- 
most discouraged.  But  I  know,  He  that  has 
called  me  to  work  in  his  vineyard,  is  able  to 
keep  me. 

I  could  tell  you  a  great  many  good  things,  if 
I  had  time.  But  I  must  stop,  after  asking 
your  prayers  for  all  your  Creek-Path  friends. 
I  hope  when  you  return  to  your  nation,  you 
will  find  many  Christians.  Farewell,  dear 
brother;  may  the  Lord  be  with  you,  and  pre- 
pare you  for  great  usefulness  in  the  world. 
This  is  the  prayer  of  your  sister 

Catharine  Brown. 


TO  MR.  AND  MRS.  HALL. 

Creek-Path,  Nov.  19,  1820. 
My  deai-  Brother  and  Sister, 

This  is  the  first  opportunity  I  have  had 
to   answer  the   kind  letter,  which  you  wrote 
some  time  since.     I  thank  you  for  it,  and  hope 
*10 


110  MEMOIR    OF 

you  will  forgive  me  for  not  writing  sooner.  I 
think  of  you  every  day,  and  long  to  see  you 
once  more  in  this  world.  I  often  think  of  the 
happy  hours  we  used  to  spend  together,  while 
I  was  with  you  at  Brainerd.  But  the  happy 
hours  are  gone,  I  fear  never  to  return.  I  hope, 
if  we  may  not  meet  in  this  world,  we  may  in 
heaven,  where  we  shall  never  be  separated. 
O,  my  dear  friends,  do  you  not  sometimes 
long  to  see  that  glorious  day,  when  Christians 
shall  be  gathered  from  all  parts  of  the  world 
to  sing  the  praises  of  our  dear  Redeemer? 
What  a  day  it  will  be  for  Christians!  And 
shall  we  be  among  the  number?  Sometimes  I 
fear  I  shall  not  be,  my  wicked  heart  is  so 
prone  to  sin.  But  1  know  the  blood  of  Christ 
is  sufficient  to  wash  away  all  my  sins,  and  pre- 
pare me  for  his  eternal  glory.  I  will,  there- 
fore, commit  myself  to  God.  It  is  all  that  I 
can  do. 

O  how  good  it  is  to  lie  at  the  feet  of  Jesus, 
and  feel  ourselves  purified  by  his  blood.  Then 
we  have  no  reason  to  fear  what  the  world 
can  do  unto  us. 

My  dear  friends,  I  cannot  tell  you  how 
much  I  love  you,  because  you  were  willing  to 


CATHARINE    BROWN.  Ill 

leave  your  native  land,  and  jour  dear  people, 
to  come  into  this  heathen  part  of  the  world, 
to  instruct  me  and  my  people  in  the  way  of 
salvation.  May  the  Lord  reward  you  for  this 
labour  of  love.  Probably  you  must  have  some 
trials  to  pass  through,  as  other  missionaries 
do ;  but  we  ought  to  rejoice,  that  we  are  ac- 
counted worthy  to  labour  for  God.  Our  days 
will  soon  be  past,  and  if  we  are  the  children 
of  God,  we  shall  soon  be  at  rest  in  the  bosom 
of  our  dear  Saviour. 

My  father,  mother,  brothers,  and  sisters, 
wish  to  be  remembered  affectionately  to  you. 
Write  often.  I  am  always  happy  to  hear 
from  you. 

From  your  sister, 

Catharine  Brown. 


TO  HER  BROTHER  DAVID. 

Creek-Path,  Feb.  21,  1821. 
My  deav  Brother, 

I  received  your  kind  letter  some  time 
since,  and  it  gave  me  great  satisfaction  to 
hear  from  you.  I  should  have  written  to  you 
before  this  time,  but  did  not  know  how  to  send 


112  MEMOIR    OF 

to  Brainerd.  I  am  truly  happy  to  hear  that 
you  feel  so  well  contented  with  your  situation 
in  school,  and  that  you  are  well  pleased  with 
your  dear  instructor.  Our  dear  parents  are 
in  good  health.  They  have  removed  from 
the  place  where  they  lived  before,  and  are 
now  living  with  brother  John.  I  think  they 
have  truly  passed  from  death  unto  life.  They 
seem  to  be  growing  in  grace  and  in  the 
knowledge  of  Him  who  has  redeemed  their 
souls  from  hell.  Indeed,  you  cannot  imagine 
how  different  they  seem  from  what  they  did 
when  you  left  us.  All  they  desire  now,  is  to 
do  the  will  of  our  dear  Saviour.  This  work 
is  the  Lord's,  and  no  doubt  he  will  keep  them 
and  carry  them  safe  through  this  sinful  world, 
until  he  receives  them  to  his  heavenly  king- 
dom, O,  dear  brother,  truly  the  Lord  has 
heard  our  prayers  for  the  souis  of  our  parents. 
We  have  great  reason  to  rejoice.  May  we 
not  say, — not  unto  us,  but  to  thy  name  be  all 
the  praise?  You  have  doubtless  heard  that 
brother  John  has  joined  the  church.  Dear 
brother  David,  my  heart  is  full  while  I  am 
writing.  How  shall  I  express  my  gratitude  to 
God  for  bringing  him  to  a  knowledge  of  the 


CATHARINE    BROWN.  113 

Saviour.  He  says  sometimes  he  feels  happy 
in  praying  to  God,  and  feels  willing  that  he 
should  do  with  him  as  seemeth  good  in  his 
sight. 

My  brother  David,  when  we  look  back 
and  see  what  the  Lord  has  done  for  our  fam- 
ily in  the  course  of  a  few  years,  O  let  us  call 
upon  our  souls,  and  all  that  is  within  us,  to 
praise  our  God  for  his  great  blessings  to  us. 

I  sometimes  long  to  see  your  face  once  more 
in  this  world,  to  converse  and  pray  with  you 
before  our  Saviour.  I  often  think  of  the  happy 
hours,  which  we  spent  when  we  were  at 
Brainerd,  when  we  first  tasted  the  sweetness 
of  religion,  and  when  we  used  to  take  each 
other's  hand  to  walk  and  sing  cur  favourite 
hymn, 

"Come  we  that  love  the  Lortf ." 

We  then  knew  the  happiness  of  saints,  and 
felt  that  religion  was  not  'designed  to  make  our 
pleasures  less.'  But  now  our  heavenly  Father 
has  separated  us  for  a  time  in  this  world;  I 
hope  for  his  glory,  and  for  the  good  of  per- 
ishing souis  around  us.  We  have  much  to  do 
for  our  Saviour.     As  we  hope  we  are  chil- 


114  MEMOIR    OF 

dren  of  the  most  high  God,  let  us  be  good  sol- 
diers, and  not  be  weary  in  well-going,  for  in 
due  season  we  shall  reap  if  we  faint  not. 

Father  and  mother  send  love  to  you,  and  to 
the  scholars  in  Cornwall.  I  hope  you  will 
write  to  us  soon,  and  let  us  know  how  you  do. 

Adieu,  dear  brother,  till  we  meet  again, 

Catharine  Brown. 


TO  THE  SAME. 

Creek-Path,  1821. 
My  dear  Brother, 

Although  we  may  be  separated  many 
hundreds  of  miles,  the  God  of  the  Universe, 
whom  we  serve,  will  often  give  us  the  en- 
joyment of  himself,  which  you  know  is  of  far 
greater  value  than  all  this  world  can  afford. 
Last  Sabbath  was  a  very  solemn  and  inter- 
esting day  to  us.  Rev.  Mr.  W.  from  the 
state  of  New  York  was  here — a  very  pious 
and  engaged  Christian.  We  were  much  re- 
freshed by  his  kind  instructions.  I  think  it 
was  truly  a  pleasaut  day  to  my  soul.  The 
sacrament  was  administered,  and  we  were 
permitted  once  more  to  sit  at  the  table  of  the 


\ 


CATHARINE     BROWN.  115 

Lord,  and  commemorate  his  dying  love.  Mr. 
S.  was  baptised.  Also  an  infant  of  Mrs.  F, 
named  Samuel  Worcester.  The  congregation 
were  attentive  and  some  of  them  were  affect- 
ed to  tears.  I  hope  the  time  is  not  far  dis- 
tant, when  all  the  heathen  shall  be  brought  to 
the  knowledge  of  the  Redeemer.  We  have 
recently  formed  a  Female  Society*  in  this 
place.  The  members  pay  fifty  cents  a  year. 
I  trust  you  will  pray  that  we  may  be  blessed, 
and  that  we  may  be  instrumental  in  the  great 
work  of  building  up  the  cause  of  the  Redeem- 
er. I  can  never  be  sufficiently  thankful  to 
God  for  sending  us  missionaries,  to  teach  us  the 
way  we  should  go.  We  love  them  as  our 
own  brothers  and  sisters.  That  you  may  en- 
joy the  light  of  our  Saviour's  countenance, 
while  in  this  short  journey  of  life,  and  finally 
be  received  to  mansions  of  eternal  glory,  is 
the  prayer  of  your  sister, 

Catharine  Brown. 

*  Tht  Society,  of  which  mention  was  made  at  p.  85. 


116  MEMOIR    OF 


TO  MR.  AND  MRS.  HALL. 


Creek-Paih,  June  1,  1822. 
My  dear  Brother  and  Sister  Hall, 

Sweet  and  reviving  is  the  thought, 
that  we  are  not  to  continue  long  in  this 
world,  but  hope  soon  to  rest  in  the  city  of 
our  God.  My  dear  brother  and  sister,  be  pa- 
tient in  all  your  trials  and  hardships,  remem- 
bering that  you  are  labouring  for  God,  and 
not  for  man  alone.  The  Saviour  will  give 
you  an  unfading  crown  of  glory  in  due  season. 
I  often  think  of  the  glorious  day,  when  I  shall 
meet  you,  and  all  good  missionaries,  in  the 
kingdom  of  our  Saviour.  I  shall  then  be  al- 
ways with  those  dear  friends,  who  have  told 
me  so  much  about  heaven,  and  taught  me  to 
love  and  serve  Christ.  I  hope  you  will  not 
forget  to  pray,  that  I  may  possess  more  of  the 
spirit  of  Christ. 

The  pupils  in  the  school  here  generally 
make  good  improvement.  The  religious  pros- 
pects are  encouraging.  Meetings  on  the  Sab- 
bath, and  weekly  conferences,  are  well  at- 
tended. The  church  appears  well.  Last  Sab- 
bath I,  for  the  first  time,  met  my  parents  at 
the  table  of  the  Lord. 


CATHARINE    BROWN.  117 

I  have  many  things  to  tell  you;  but  my 
health  will  not  allow  me  to  write  much  at  one 
time.  The  little  I  have  written  gives  me  pain. 
My  health  has  been  feeble  for  some  weeks 
past,  but  my  complaints  are  not  alarming, 
[shall  try  to  visit  you  next  vacation,  if  life  is 
spared.  Will  my  dear  brother  and  sister 
write  soon  to  their  affectionate    Catharine. 


TO     HER     BROTHER     DAVID. 

Huntsville,  Aug.  30,  1822. 
My  dear  Brother, 

I  am  sorry  to  tell  you,  that  I  have  but  a 
few  moments  of  time  to  write  this  evening:.  I 
came  here  the  13th  inst.  and  expect  to  re- 
turn in  a  few  weeks. 

I  left  our  friends  all  very  well,  and  walk- 
ing in  the  fear  of  God.  I  should  have  writ- 
ten long  before  this,  had  I  not  been  sick;  but 
my  health  is  now  much  better  than  it  was 
when  I  left  home.  Brother  David,  remem- 
ber that  your  sister  Catharine  loves  you 
much,  and  prays  for  you  every  day.  I  trust 
you  will  not  return  before  you  are  prepared 
to  preach  the  Gospel.  Let  me  know  your 
feelings  in  this  respect  when  you  write  again. 


US  MEMOIR   OF 

and  I  shall  know  how  to  pray  for  you.  I  d© 
not  expect  you  to  go  through  all  the  studies, 
that  ministers  generally  do  in  New  England, 
but  wish  you  to  be  qualified  enough  to  with- 
stand the  enemies  of  God,  and  teach  the  truths 
of  Christianity.  If  your  health  does  not  per- 
mit you  to  study,  and  your  hesitation  of  speech 
still  continues,  I  should  not  think  it  was  your 
duty  to  pursue  your  studies. 

However,  I  know  the  Lord  will  make  every 
path  of  duty  plain  before  you.  Do  not  think 
we  are  unhappy.  It  is  true  we  were  greatly 
tried,  last  winter,  in  losing  our  dear  brother. 
But,  blessed  be  God,  it  was  not  more  than  we 
are  able  to  bear. 

We  feel  it  was  good  for  us  to  be  afflicted, 
knowing  that  the  Lord  is  good,  and  will  always 
do  what  is  right.  I  have  not  time  to  write  all 
I  wish  to  send  you.  When  I  return  home, 
you  shall  have  a  long  letter  from  your  affec- 
tionate sister  Catharine. 


TO  THE    SAME,    AT    ANDOVER. 

Creek-Path,  Jan.  18,  1823. 
My  dear  Brother, 

Yours  of  Nov.  2,   1822,  was  received 
a  few  days  since.     I  am  much   gratified  t© 


GATHARINE     BROWN.  119 

hear,  that  you  are  to  continue  in  New  Eng- 
land another  year.  I  hope  you  will  be  the 
better  qualified  for  usefulness  to  our  country- 
.  Iffefr;- when  you  return.  I  pray  for  you  daily, 
that  God  may  be  with  you  and  bless  you  in 
your  undertaking. 

I  feel  anxious  to  see  you,  yet  I  am  willing 
to  have  you  stay  until  you  have  received  fur- 
ther education.  How  has  your  mind  been 
exercised  since  you  entered  the  interesting 
Seminary  at  Andover?  Are  you  living  in  the 
enjoyment  of  the  religion  of  Christ?  We  must, 
dear  brother,  live  near  to  God,  and  be  engaged 
in  his  cause,  if  we  would  be  his  followers.  Let 
us,  then,  not  calculate  to  live  in  idleness  and 
ease,  unconcerned  for   the  salvation  of  souls. 

We  are  under  great  obligations  to  honour 
God  before  the  world,  and  to  be  active  in 
his  service.  Let  us  not  hide  our  talents  in 
the  earth,  for  the  Lord  will  require  them  of 
us.  There  is  a  crown  of  glory  laid  up  for 
those  who  are  faithful  unto  the  end. 

It  is  now  eleven  months,  since  our  dear 
brother  John  departed  from  this  lower  world, 
and  entered  the  unseen  regions  of  eternity, 
where  I   hope    ne    is    now  walking  in  the 


120  MEMOIR    OF 

streets  of  the  New  Jerusalem,  filled  with 
holy  love.  Oh  boundless  love,  and  matchless 
grace,  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ! 
How  happy  shall  we  feel  when  we  land  on 
the  shores  of  eternal  felicity.  There  we 
shall  meet  our  dear  brother,  and  all  who 
have  gone  before  us,  and  shall  reign  in  the 
paradise  of  God  forever  and  ever. 

I  often  think  of  our  relations  in  the  Arkan- 
sas, I  long  to  hear  of  their  conversion.  Let 
us  not  neglect  to  pray  for  them  daily;  partic- 
ularly for  brother  W.  The  Lord,  I  hope, 
will  renew  his  heart,  and  make  him  abun- 
dantly useful  to  the  cause  of  missions. 

We  rejoice  to  see  brother  A.  once  more  in 
pur  dwellings.  After  a  long  journey  from 
the  Arkansas  country,  he  arrived  here,  much 
fatigued,  in  the  latter  part  of  November.  He 
intends  to  spend  a  few  months  with  us,  and 
then  return  with  sister  Susan.  I  do  not  feel 
very  well  about  her  going  into  the  wilder- 
ness, and  far  from  Christian  society,  where 
she  will  perhaps  have  no  religious  instruc* 
tion. 

Her  mother  has  removed  thirty  or  forty 
miles  from  the  missionary  station  [at  Dwight.] 


CATHARINE    BROWN.  121 

But  we  commend  her  into  the  hands  of  the 
Almighty,  who  is  able  to  keep  her  from  evil, 
and  from  all  the  temptations  of  this  delusive 
world.  I  am  glad  to  hear  from  our  relations 
in  that  country.  Brother  Walter  was  expect- 
ing to  set  out  in  a  few  days  for  the  city  of 
Washington,  and  had  thoughts  of  visiting  some 
of  the  northern  States  before  he  returned. 
It  is  likely  you  may  see  him  in  New  England. 
He  has  placed  brother  Edmund  in  the  mis- 
sionary school  at  Dwight,  to  continue  three 
or  four  years.  He  has  become  very  steady 
and  attentive  to  his  books.  I  hope  the  Lord 
will  give  him  a  new  heart,  and  prepare  him 
for  usefulness. 

Brother  W.  has  given  up  trading,  and  has 
commenced  farming.  He  has  purchased  land 
in  the  Osage  country,  at  the  Salt  Springs. 
Whether  he  intends  removing  his  family  to 
that  place,  1  know  not.  It  is  my  prayer,  that 
he  may  be  brought  to  bow  to  the  sceptre  of 
King  Jesus,  in  whom  is  life  everlasting.  As 
for  our  going  to  the  Arkansas,  it  is  not  decid- 
ed. Perhaps  we  shall  know  better,  when 
you  return.  You  know  mother  is  always 
very  anxious  to  remove  to  that  country,  but 
*11 


122  MEMOIR  OF 

father  is  not.  For  my  own  part,  I  feel 
willing  to  do  whatever  is  duty,  and  the  will 
of  our  parents.  I  feel  willing  to  go,  or  stay. 
The  Lord  will  direct  all  things  right,  and  in 
him  may  we  put  all  our  trust. 

We  had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  your  school- 
mates McKee  and  Israel  Folsom  They 
called  on  us  on  their  way  to  the  Choctaw 
nation.  They  said  there  were  many  good 
people  at  the  north.  They  had  rather  live 
among  the  Yankees,  than  any  other  people.  I 
hope  they  will  be  very  useful  to  their  nation. 

Mr.  Potter  has  gone  to  Brainerd  on  some 
business,  and  I  shall  stay  with  Mrs.  P.  until 
he  returns.  We  expect  him  home  this  week. 
I  hope  he  will  bring  a  large  packet  of  letters 
from  our  Brainerd  friends.  Mrs.  P.  is  engag- 
ed in  teaching  school  while  her  husband  is 
absent.  Several  of  the  scholars  are  very  at- 
tentive, and  make  good  progress  in  their 
studies.  Sarah  is  in  the  tirst  class.  She  is 
a  good  girl  to  learn,  and  is  much  beloved  by 
her  teacher.  She  has  begun  to  read  the 
Bible  in  course,  and  has  read  partly  through 
the  [Memoirs  of  Miss  Caroline  Smelt.  When 
1  wrote  to  you  last,  I  was  in  a  declining  state 


CATHARINE  BROWN.  123 

of  health,  and  for  that  reason  I  left  my  studies 
to  have  more  exercise.  The  Lord  has  been 
pleased  to  restore  me  to  my  usual  health, 
and  1  now  feel  pretty  well. 

I  spent  two  months  in  Huntsville,  last 
spring,  in  the  family  of  Dr.  Campbell.     Mrs. 

is  a  very  pious  and  engaged  Christian. 

I  became  acquainted  with  several  pious  fami- 
lies in  Huntsville,  who,  I  believe,  feel  inter- 
ested in  the  cause  of  missions.  The  pious 
ladies  made  up  clothing  for  the  children  in 
Creek-Path.  We  hope  this  is  only  the  be- 
ginning of  a  missionary  spirit  in  that  place. 

I  am  glad  to  tell  you,  that  our  female  So- 
ciety is  growing  in  its  numbers.  We  have 
collected  nearly  double  the  sum  this  year 
that  we  did  last.  The  Society  has  concluded 
to  send  our  money  for  this  year  to  the  Ar- 
kansas mission. 

I  am  glad  the  people  are  so  willing  to 
assist  in  advancing  the  Redeemers  kingdom 
in  our  heathen  land.  May  the  glorious  period 
soon  arrive,  when  all  the  nations  of  the  earth 
shall  oe  brought  to  the  knowledge  of  the 
truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus.  Oh,  dear  brother, 
though   we   are  widely  separated  in  person, 


124  MEMOIR  OF 

yet  we  are  near  in  spirit,  and  can  unite  our 
prayers  for  the  approach  of  this  happy  day. 
O  let  us  do  with  our  might  what  our  hands 
find  to  do.  I  am  now  in  my  little  study. 
I  have  spent  in  this  room  many  happy  hours 
in  prayer  to  my  Heavenly  Father.  But  Oh, 
how  cold  and  stupid  my  heart  is!  How  little  I 
feel  for  the  salvation  of  souls! 

Oh,  for  a  closer  walk  with  God, 
A  calm  and  heavenly  frame  ; 
And  light  to  shine  upon  the  road, 
That  leads  me  to  the  Lamb. 

Please  to  write   soon,   and  tell   me  every 
thing  respecting  your  present  situation. 

Catharine  Brown. 


TO    THE    SAME. 

Brainerd,  Feb.   10,  1823. 
My  dear  brother  David, 

I  am  at  Brainerd,  on  a  visit  from  Creek- 
Path.  My  heart  is  filled  with  gratitude  to 
God,  in  being  permitted  to  see  these  dear 
missionaries  once  more,  and  unite  with  them 
in  praise  to  our  Lord  and  Saviour.  I  feel 
truly  attached  to  Brainerd,  where  I  first 
found  the  Saviour;  and  O  how  I  love  the  dear 
sisters,  with  whom  I  have  spent  many  happy 


CATHARINE    BROWN.  125 

hours,  both  in  school,  and  in  walking  to  the 
house  of  worship.  But  those  happy  hours 
are  past.  We  must  be  contented,  and  look 
forward  to  that  day  when  we  shall  meet  to 
part  no  more. 

I  left  home  last  week,  in  company  with 
Mr.  Boudinot,  and  sister  Susan.  Hope  my 
journey  will  be  beneficial  to  my  health.  If 
our  dear  father  and  mother  are  willing,  I 
intend  to  pursue  study  again,  as  soon  as  I 
return  home. 

There  is  some  seriousness  among  the  peo- 
ple in  our  neighbourhood.  Several  are  very 
anxious  to  receive  religious  instruction.  When 
I  return,  1  think  I  shall  make  it  my  business 
to  go  round,  once  in  two  weeks,  to  read  and 
explain  the  Scriptures  to   the  females. 

I  cannot  but  hope  the  Lord  will  continue 
to  have  mercy  on  our  people,  and  will  bring 
many  to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth  as  it  is 
in  Jesus. 

I  hope  you  will  write  to  our  dear  parents 
soon.  The)'  are  always  happy  to  hear  from 
you. 

From  your  affectionate  sister 

Catharine  Brown. 


12  6  MEMOIR    OF 


CHAPTER  V. 

HER  SICKNESS  AND  DEATH. 

Brief  agitations  of  her  mind. — Her  love  for  her 
people. — Is  visited  by  Dr.  Campbell. — Letter 
to  Mrs.  Campbell. — Alarming  symptom  in  her 
disease. — Her  resignation  and  consolations. — 
Dr.  Campbell  advises  her  removal  to  Lime- 
stone.— State  of  her  mind  at  this  time. — 
Strong  jnanifestations  of  affection  for  her  at 
Creek-Path. — Account  of  her  removal. — Tem- 
porary improvement  in  her  health. — Dictates 
a  letter  to  her  brother  David. — Hopes  of  her 
recovery  relinquished. —  This  fact  stated  to  her 
father  and  herself. — Her  last  hours,  death, 
and  burial. — Monument  over  her  grave. 

The  attention  of  the  reader  is  now  invited  to 
the  closing  scenes  in  the  life  of  Catharine, 
where  her  faith  in  her  Saviour  will  be  seen 
to  have  been  signally  triumphant  over  the 
terrors  »f  the  grave. 


CATHARINE    BROWN.  127 

After  she  returned  from  Brainerd,  she  seems 
generally  to  have  considered  her  removal  from 
the  world  as  not  very  distant,  and  to  have 
spent  much  time  in  reflecting  on  death  and 
its  consequences.  These  suhjectsshe  not  un- 
frequently  made  the  topics  of  conversation. 
One  instance  of  this  kind  is  described  by  Mrs. 
Potter. 

"Entering  her  room,  one  evening,  at  an 
early  hour,  I  found  she  had  retired  with  un- 
usual debility.  She  requested  me  to  read, 
from  some  medical  author,  the  symptoms  of 
consumption.  I  complied;  and,  after  compar- 
ing them  with  her  own,  she  expressed  a  be- 
lief, that  she  had  that  disease.  I  inquired  what 
were  her  feelings  in  view  of  this  conclusion. 
She  replied,  with  tears,  'I  am  not  prepared 
to  die.'  You  have  a  hope,  I  said,  of  happi- 
ness beyond  the  grave?  'Yes,  I  have  a  hope 
resting  on  the  promises  of  the  Saviour;  but  I 
have  been  unfaithful!' 

"We  were  both  too  much  affected  to  say 
more,  and  remained  for  some  time  silent. 
At  length  Catharine  sweetly  raised  her  voice 
and  said,  'Sister  Potter  how  beautiful  is  this 
hymn;'  and  then  she  repeated 


1  28  MEMOIR    OF 

•Why  should  we  start  and  fear  to  die! 

What  timorous  worms  we  mortals  are! 
Death  is  the  gate  of  endless  joy, 

And  yet  we  dread  to  enter  there. 

'The  pains,  and  groans,  and  dying  strife 

Fright  our  approaching  souls  away; 
Still  we  shrink  back  again  to  life, 
Fond  of  our  prison  and  our  clay. 

'Oh,  if  my  Lord  would  come  and  meet, 

My  soul  should  stretch  her  wings  in  haste; 
Fly  fearless  through  death's  iron  gate, 

Nor  feel  the  terrors  as  she  passed. 

'Jesus  can  make  a  dying  bed 

Feel  soft  as  dowTiy  pillows  are, 
While  on  his  breast  I  lean  my  head, 

And  breathe  my  life  out  sweetly  there.' 

"I  inquired  if  she  could  adopt  this  as  the 
language  of  her  heart,  and  she  answered, 
with  great  meekness,  that  she  hoped  she 
could." 

It  does  not  appear,  that,  after  this,  her  mind 
was  again  seriously  disturbed  by  apprehen- 
sions respecting  her  own  future  well-being. 

But  when  she  saw  her  aged  parents  in  an 
infirm  state  of  health,  and  needing  all  the  at- 
tentions of  an  affectionate  daughter,  and  when, 
moreover,  she  reflected  how  many  of  her  dear 
people  remained  ignorant  of  the  only  Saviour 


CATHARINE    BROWN.  129 

of  sinners,  she  clung  to  life,  and  her  earnest 
prayer  was,  that  she  might  recover.  We  are 
informed,  that  her  trials  from  these  sources 
uere,  at  one  time,  very  severe. 

She  said  to  a  beloved  friend,  "I  know, 
that  it  is  my  duty  to  submit  entirely  to  the 
will  of  God.  He  can  carry  on  his  work 
without  me.  He  can  take  care  of  my  par- 
ents. Yet  I  am  anxious  to  recover.  I  wish  to 
labour  more  for  my  people." 

How  strong  her  desires  were  for  the  im- 
provement of  her  people,  is  further  evident 
from  this  fact,  that  though  David  was  the  only 
surviving  brother,  who  had  the  same  mother 
with  herself,  and  though  he  was  dearer  to  her 
than  any  one  else,  except  her  parents,  she  was, 
for  some  time,  unwilling  he  should  be  inform- 
ed of  her  sickness,  lest  he  should  be  induced 
to  leave' his  studies,  and  come  home  to  see 
her.  Much  as  she  loved  him,  she  said  she 
had  rather  he  would  remain  in  New  England, 
until  he  was  prepared  to  preach  Christ  to  his 
countrymen. 

In  April  she  was  visited  by  that  kind  friend 
of  herself  and   family,    Dr.    Campbell.     He 
strongly  advised,  that  she  should   remove  to 
12 


130  MEMOIR    OF 

his  house,  thinking  it  probable  that  he  might 
then  relieve  her.  Her  friends  all  consented, 
only  desiring  her  to  remain  at  home  a  few 
days,  till  the  departure  of  her  brother  Web- 
ber, who  had  come  from  the  Arkansas.  But 
his  stay  was  unexpectedly  prolonged  a  month. 
During  this  time,  Catharine  failed  so  rapidly, 
that  she  was  unable  to  ride  to  Limestone, 
where  Dr.  Campbell  then  resided. 

On  this  occasion,   Catharine  thus   wrote  to 
Mrs.  Campbell. 

Creek-Path,  Jipril  17,  1823. 
My  dear  Mrs.  Campbell. 

My  heart  was  made  truly  glad  this  morn- 
ing, by  the  arrival  of  Dr.  Campbell.  I  have 
long  been  very  anxious  to  see  him,  on  account 
of  the  low  state  of  my  health.  For  two  months 
past,  it  has  been  declining,  and  I  am  now  re- 
duced to  extreme  debility.  This  affliction  I 
view  as  coming  from  my  heavenly  Father.  I 
deserve  correction,  and  hopeto  bear  the  chas- 
tising rod  with  humble  submission. 

I  have  a  wish   to  recover,  that  I  may  be 
useful  to  my  poor  countrymen,  but  know,  that 


CATHARINE    BROWN.  131 

all  human  means  will  be  ineffectual  without 
the  blessing  of  God.  I  pray  that  Dr.  Camp- 
bell may  be  the  instrument  in  his  hands  of 
restoring  me  to  health.  If  the  weather  were 
pleasant,  I  should  be  disposed  to  return  with 
him. 

I  thank  you  for  your  present,  and  wish  I 
had  something  valuable  to  send  in  return.  Dr. 
Campbell  will  hand  you  a  little  ribbond.  When 
you  wear  it,  remember  Catharine. 

Mrs.  P.  sends  love,  and  hopes  to  receive  a 
visit  from  you  ere  long.  Much  love  to  the 
children. 

Farewell,  my  friend,  my  sister.  May  heaven 
grant  you  its  choicest  blessings,  and  reward 
you  an  hundred  fold  for  all  your  kindness  to 
me.  Again  I  say,  farewell.  May  we  meet 
in  heaven.     Yours  affectionately. 

Catharine  Brown. 

As  she  approached  nearer  to  eternit}',  her 
faith  evidently  grewT  stronger,  and  she  became 
more  and  more  able  cheerfully  to  resign,  not 
only  herself,  but  her  parents,  her  friends,  her 
people,  her  all,  to  the  disposal  of  her  Lord, 


132  MEMOIR    OF 

May  15th  she  was  reduced  very  low  by  a 
hemorrhage  from  the  lungs,  and  Tor  a  few  days 
was  viewed  as  upon  the  borders  of  the  grave. 

Before  this  alarming  symptom,  it  had  been 
proposed  to  send  again  for  Dr.  Campbell. 
But  her  parents  were  persuaded  first  to  try 
the  skill  of  some  Indian  practitioners.  Their 
prescriptions  were  followed,  until  the  hemor- 
rhage occurred.  Then  her  alarmed  parents 
sent  immediately  for  Mr.  Potter,  hoping  he 
could  do  something 'to  relieve  their  darling 
child.  Providentially  the  Rev.  Reynolds  Bas- 
com,  of  whom  mention  has  been  already 
made,  had  just  arrived  from  the  Choctaw  na- 
tion, on  his  way  to  the  northern  States;  and 
having  been  afflicted  in  a  similar  manner  him- 
self, he  was  able  to  administer  effectual  rem- 
edies. 

It  is  pleasing  to  be  able  to  insert  here  the 
notice-,  which  Mr.  Bascom  made,  at  the  time, 
respecting  his  interview  with  her,  in  this 
hour  of  trial. 

"May  15.  Rode  to  brother  Potter's,  be- 
fore breakfast.  Soon  after  our  arrival,  a 
message    came,    that  Catharine    Brown    had 


CATHARINE    BROWN.  133 

been  taken  with  bleeding  at  the  lungs,  and 
brother  Potter  was  requested  to  visit  her. 
We  accordingly  rode  over  to  her  father's 
house  immediately  after  breakfast,  and  found 
her  entirely  prostrated  by  a  copious  hemor- 
rhage. After  bleeding  her  in  the  arm,  she 
experienced  a  sensible  relief. 

"16.  Visited  Catharine,  with  brother  Pot- 
ter, and  found  it  necessary  to  bleed  her  again. 
Conversed  and  prayed  with  her,  and  left  her 
in  a  peaceful  frame  of  mind. 

"19.  Left  Creek-Path  for  Brainerd.  Bro- 
ther Potter  rode  with  us  to  Mr.  Brown's. 
Catharine  appeared  sweetly  composed.  Her 
countenance  was  cheerful,  and  her  soul  filled 
with  tenderness  and  filial  trust  in  God.  After 
conversation  and  prayer,  I  asked  her  what 
she  would  have  me  say  to  her  brother  David. 

"She  replied,  ;  Tell  him  not  to  be  uneasy 
about  me.  If  I  do  not  meet  him  in  this  world, 
I  hope  to  meet  him  in  heaven.  I  have  a 
great  desire  to  see  him,  but  the  Lord  may 
not  permit  us  to  meet  here.'  These  words 
were  spoken  in  a  low,  but  audible  whisper, 
and  with  the  significant  emphasis  of  a  heart 
filled  with  faith  and  love. 
*12 


134  MEMOIR    OF 

"  I  have  rarely,  if  ever,  seen  a  more  lovely 
object  for  the  pencil,  than  she  appeared  to 
me  on  her  dying  bed.  The  natural  mildness 
of  her  features  seemed  lighted  with  a  beam 
of  heavenly  hope,  and  her  whole  aspect  was 
that  of  a  mature  Christian,  waiting,  with  filial 
patience,  the  welcome  summons  to  the  pre- 
sence of  her  Lord." 

Mrs.  Potter  says, — "Death  was  now  dis- 
armed of  his  terrors.  She  could  look  into 
the  grave  without  alarm.  She  confessed  her 
sins  with  great  meekness,  and  mourned  that 
she  had  not  been  more  faithful  in  the  service 
of  God;  yet  rejoiced  to  resign  her  soul  into 
the  hands  of  her  Redeemer. 

"Once,  when  I  visited  her,  she  affection- 
ately took  my  hand  and  said, — 'My  dear  sister, 
I  have  been  wishing  to  see  you,  for  several 
days.  I  have  thought  a  great  deal  of  you  and 
Mr.  Potter.  I  love  you  much,  but  am  going 
to  leave  you.  I  think  1  shall  not  live  long. 
You  have  done  much  for  me.  I  thank  you, 
and  hope  the  Lord  will  reward  you.  I  am 
willing  to  die,  if  it  be  the  will  of  God.  I 
know  that  1  have  experienced  his  love.  1 
have  no  desire  to  live  in  this  world,  but  to  do 
good.     But  God  can  carry  on  his  work  with- 


CATHARINE    BROWN.  135 

out  ine.  I  hope  you  will  continue  the  meet- 
ings of  females.  You  must  not  be  discourag- 
ed. T  thought  when  I  should  get  to  the 
Arkansas,  I  would  form  a  society  among  the 
females,  like  ours.  But  I  shall  never  live  to 
get  there.  I  feel  for  my  dear  parents,  but 
the  Lord  will  take  care  of  them.' 

"At  another  interview  she  said, — 'I  feel 
perfectly  resigned  to  the  will  of  God.  I 
know  he  will  do  right  with  his  children.  I 
thank  God,  that  I  am  entirely  in  his  hands.  I 
feel  willing  to  live,  or  die,  as  he  thinks  best. 
My  only  wish  is,  that  he  may  be  glorified.  I 
hope,  should  I  ever  recover,  I  shall  be  more 
faithful  in  the  cause  of  Christ,  than  I  have 
ever  been.'  " 

A  request  was  sent  to  Dr.  Campbell  to  visit 
her  as  soon  as  possible.  But  he  was  unable 
to  come  till  the  21st,  by  which  time  Catha- 
rine was  so  much  enfeebled,  as  to  be  entirely 
confined  to  her  room.  She  could  not  even 
raise  herself  without  assistance.  The  physi- 
cian gave  it  as  his  opinion,  that  she  could  live 
but  a  few  days,  unless  she  was  removed  to 
Limestone,  it  being  impossible  for  him  to  at- 
tend on  her  at  so  great  a  distance.     Whether 


136  MEMOIR    OF 

such  a  removal  was  possible,  was  at  first 
doubted.  But  a  kind  Providence  furnished 
unexpectedly  such  facilities  for  the  measure, 
that  it  was  determined  on. 

Before  entering  on  an  account  of  her  re- 
moval, some  further  notices  of  the  state  of 
her  mind  will  be  given. 

Just  before  her  leaving  home,  she  request- 
ed a  friend  to  write  thus,  on  her  behalf,  to 
her  brother  David.  "I  am  entirely  resigned 
to  the  will  of  God,  and  hope  you  will  feel  the 
same  resignation.  I  am  perfectly  willing  to 
die,  or  to  live,  as  the  Lord  shall  direct.  This 
world  is  nothing  but  sin.  I  have  no  wish  to 
live  in  itf  but  to  do  good.  If  it  be  the  Lord's 
will  to  take  me  now,  I  am  willing  to  go." 

"Religious  confidence  and  tranquillity,'* 
says  Dr.  Campbell,  "were  at  this  time  her 
sweet  companions.  How  happy  she  seemed 
in  my  view,  so  near  the  confines  of  the  eter- 
nal world,  about  to  relinquish  all  earthly 
cares  and  sorrows  for  the  enjoyment  of  her 
dear  Redeemer's  presence! 

"On  the  23d,  she  seemed  to  have  the  most 
cheering  evidence  of  her  interest  in  the  Lord 
Jesus.     Thus   she    exclaimed, — lNow    I   am 


CATHARINE     BROWN.  137 

ready  to  die.  Oh,  how  delightful  is  the  view 
of  my  Saviour!  How  happy  shall  I  he,  when 
I  arrive  at  my  Father's  house.' 

"On  being  asked,  what  would  he  her  feel- 
ings, if  it  was  the  will  of  God  she  should  live, 
she  replied;  'The  Lord's  will  be  done,  and 
not  mine,  U  I  can  promote  his  cause  in  any 
way,  I  am  desirous  to  live.  But  if  I  am  taken 
away,  I  hope  my  brother  David  will  be  use- 
ful, in  bringing  our  benighted  nation  to  a 
knowledge  of  Jesus.' 

"Her  soul  appeared  full,  and  more  than 
full,  of  love  to  God.  She  spoke  much  of  his 
goodness  to  her,  and  expressed  much  regret, 
that  she  had  done  so  little  in  his  cause.  The 
day  preceding  this,  she  had  expressed  a  wish 
to  go  io  LLmtsville,  and  unite  with  Mrs.  L. 
and  C.  in  forming  an  association  for  prayer, 
and  in  endeavouring  to  do  something  for  the 
cause  of  Christ." 

Catharine  was  now  unable  to  endure  the 
motion  of  a  carriage,  even  for  a  short  dis- 
tance. It  would  be  necessary,  therefore,  in 
proceeding  to  Limestone,  to  carry  her  on  a 
litter  to  the  Tennessee  river,  which  was  six 
miles  distant;    then   to  take    her   in  a  boat 


13S  MEMOIR    OF 

down  the  river,  forty  miles,  to  a  village 
named  Trienna ;  and  from  thence,  on  a  litter 
again,  about  five  miles,  to  Dr.  Campbell's. 
But,  in  order  to  the  successful  prosecution  of 
this  enterprise,  the  aid  of  some  person, 
through  the  whole  distance,  who  was  ac- 
quainted with  the  English  language,  was  in- 
dispensable. And  it  should  be  thankfully  noted, 
that,  just  when  the  question  of  removal  was 
agitated,  Mr.  William  Leech,  a  pious  ac- 
quaintance from  Huntsville,  providentially 
arrived  at  Creek-Path,  and  very  kindly  ten- 
dered his  services. 

Monday,  the  26th  of  May,  was  the  time 
appointed  for  commencing  the  journey. 

"Numbers,"  says  Mrs.  Potter,  "assembled 
to  take,  as  they  feared,  and  as  it  proved,  a 
last  look  of  their  beloved  friend.  After  a 
prayer,  in  which  she  was  commended  to  the 
divine  protection,  the  canoe  was  announced 
to  be  in  readiness,  and  we  followed  the  litter, 
borne  by  her  affectionate  people,  to  the  river. 
Old  and  young  were  bathed  in  tears,  and 
some  were  obliged  to  use  their  influence  to 
prevent  a  general  and  loud  lamentation.     Ca- 


CATHARINE    BROWN.  139 

tharine  alone  was  calm,  while  she  bade  fare- 
well to  those  she  tenderly  loved." 

Mr.  Leech  says,  that  small  groups  of  her 
acquaintance  were  frequently  seen  on  the 
road,  waiting  her  approach.  When  she  ar- 
rived where  they  were,  they  would  hasten 
to  the  side  of  the  litter,  take  her  by  the 
hand,  and  often  walk  away  without  speaking 
a  word,  the  tears  all  the  while  rolling  down 
their  cheeks.'" 

Two  or  three  extracts  from  Mr.  Leech's 
narrative  of  the  voyage  and  journey,  from 
the  time  of  her  embarkation  on  the  river, 
will  be  inserted. 

"About  4  o'clock,  P.  M.  on  the  26th,  we 
began  to  glide  quite  pleasantly  down  the 
stream,  accompanied  by  several  of  Catha- 
rine's relatives.  Our  design  was  to  stop  as 
soon  as  it  became  dark,  until  the  moon  arose. 
But  we  could  discover  no  suitable  place  for 
landing,  till  daylight  was  gone,  and  then  the 
difficulty  was  increased.  The  margin  of  the 
river  was  generally  covered  with  brush- 
wood. In  some  places,  the  shore  was  a  deep 
mire;  at  others,  there  were  bluffs  and  rocks. 
This  made  landing  difficult  and  dangerous  in 


140  MEMOIR    OF 

the  dark ;  and  along  this  part  of  the  river 
were  scarcely  any  settlements. 

"At  length  the  danger  of  running  was  such, 
as  to  determine  us  to  get  upon  the  land  in 
some  way.  We  accordingly  steered  towards 
the  shore,  and  providentially  discovered  a 
good  landing-place,  near  which  was  also  a 
house,  where  our  party  was  kindly  entertain- 
ed, and  our  various  wants  supplied.  Had 
we  passed  this  place,  we  should  not  have 
found  such  another,  for  twenty  miles. 

"When  the  moon  was  sufficiently  risen,  we 
again  started.  The  night  was  beautiful,  and 
the  rocks  and  mountains,  towering  up  from 
the  river's  brink,  looked  grand,  by  the  moon- 
light, as  we  passed  along.  The  next  day  the 
heat  of  the  sun  was  excessive,  and  we  did  not 
reach  Trienna  till  one  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon. 

"Here  we  were  all  strangers.  I  had,  how- 
ever, a  letter  from  Dr.  Campbell  to  a  young 
gentleman,  which  I  delivered.  He  obtained 
a  carriage,  but  Catharine  was  too  weak  to 
ride  in  it.  How  to  procure  people  enough, 
in  this  land  of  strangers,  to  carry  her  in  a 
litter  to  Dr.  C.'s,  a  distance  of  five  miles,  I 


CATHARINE    BROWN.  141 

knew  not.  But  our  situation  becoming  known, 
men  were  soon  at  hand  to  carry  her,  free  of 
all  expense. 

"And  here  I  would  observe,  that  every 
person,  who  saw  her,  was,  so  far  as  I  could 
discover,  much  interested  in  her  behalf. 

"When  we  were  ready  to  start,  our  young 
friend,  to  whom  I  brought  the  letter,  placed 
the  mother  and  sister  of  Catharine  in  the 
carriage,  and  went  himself  with  them.  Thus 
we  were  assisted  on  our  way,  the  Lord  put- 
ting it  into  the  hearts  of  strangers  to  afford  us 
every  facility  in  their  power,  and  we  arrived 
at  Dr.  Campbell's,  a  little  before  dark,  on 
the  27th." 

Here,  not  less  than  at  her  father's  house, 
she  found  friends,  who  were  ready  to  make 
any  sacrifice  for  her  comfort,  and  with  whom 
she  could  freely  converse  on  the  subject, 
which  lay  nearest  her  heart.  Under  the 
skilful  care  of  Dr.  Campbell,  she  soon  be- 
gan to  amend,  and  hopes  were  entertained 
that  she  would  even  partially  recover. 

Early  in  June,  her  dear  friend,  Mrs.  Potter, 
came  from  Creek-Path  to  see  her. 
13 


142  MEMOIR    OF 

This  lady,  in  a  letter  to  the  Corresponding 
Secretary  of  the  American  Board,  says:  "She 
then  seemed  to  think  she  might  recover; 
but  manifested  no  wish  to  live,  unless  it 
should  be  for  the  glory  of  God.  She  said, 
'When  I  enjoy  the  presence  of  the  Saviour, 
1  long  to  be  gODe.' 

"While  at  Dr.  Campbell's,  I  wrote  a  letter 
to  her  brother  David,  informing  him  of  her 
illness.  When  about  to  close  the  letter,  I 
went  to  her  bed-side  and  said,  'Catharine, 
what  shall  I  say  to  your  brother  for  you?' 

"After  a  short  pause,  she  replied,  'If  you 
will  write,  I  will  dictate  a  short  letter.' 

"Then  raising  herself  in  the  bed,  and  wiping 
away  a  tear,  that  was  falling-  from  her  eye, 
she,  with  a  sweet  smile,  began  to  relate  what 
God  had  done  for  her  soul  while  upon  that 
sick  bed. 

"To  my  partial  eye,  she  was,  at  that  mo- 
ment, an  interesting  spectacle,  and  I  have 
often  wished,  that  her  portrait  could  then 
have  been  taken.  Her  countenance  was  soft- 
ened with  the  affectionate  remembrance  of  an 
endeared  brother;  her  cheek  was  a  little 
flushed  with  the  exertion  of  speaking,  her 


CATHARINE     BROWN.  143 

eye  beamed  with  spiritual  joy,  and  a  hea- 
venly smile  animated  the  whole  scene.  I 
shall  never  forget  it,  nor  the  words  she  then 
whispered  in  my  ear." 

The  reader  will  naturally  desire  to  see  the 
letter,  which  was  dictated  and  penned  under 
circumstances  so  interesting.  It  was  written 
in  exact  accordance  with  her  dictation,  and 
was  as  follows. 


Limestone,  June  13,  1823- 

My  dear  Brother, 

Mrs.  Potter  has  told  you  the  particu- 
lars of  my  illness.  I  will  only  tell  you  what 
I  have  experienced  on  my  sick-bed. 

I  have  found,  that  it  is  good  for  me  to  be 
afflicted.  The  Saviour  is  very  precious  to 
me.  I  often  enjoy  his  presence,  and  I  long  to 
be  where  I  can  enjoy  it  without  sin.  1  have 
indeed  been  brought  very  low,  and  did  not  ex- 
pect to  live  until  this  time.  But  I  have  had 
joy,  such  as  I  never  experienced  before.  I 
longed  to  be  gone;  was  ready  to  die  at  any 
moment. 


144  MEMOIR    OF 

I  love  you  very  much,  and  it  would  be  a 
great  happiness  to  me  to  see  you  again  in  this 
world.  Yet  1  don't  know  that  I  shall.  God 
only  knows.  We  must  submit  to  his  will. 
We  know,  that  if  we  never  meet  again  in  this 
world,  the  Lord  has  prepared  a  place  in  his 
heavenly  kingdom,  where  1  trust  we  shall 
meet,  never  to  part.  We  ought  to  be  thank- 
ful for  what  he  has  done  for  us.  If  he  had 
not  sent  us  the  Gospel,  we  should  have  died 
without  any  knowledge  of  the  Saviour. 

You  must  not  be  grieved,  when  you  hear 
of  my  illness.  You  must  remember,  that 
this  world  is  not  our  home,  that  we  must  all 
die  soon. 

I  am  here  under  the  care  of  Dr.  Campbell, 
and  his  very  kind  family.  My  mother  and 
sister  Susan  are  with  me.  Since  I  came  here, 
I  have  been  a  great  deal  better,  and  the  doc- 
tor sometimes  gives  enconrairement  of  my 
getting  well.  But  we  cannot  tell.  1  am  will- 
ing to  submit  myself  to  the  will  of  God.  I  am 
willing  to  die,  or  live,  as  he  sees  best. 

1  know  1  am  his.  He  has  bought  me  with  his 
blood,  and  I  do  not  wish  to  have  any  will  but 
his.     He  is  good,  and  can  do  nothing  wrong. 


CATHARINE     BROWN.  145 

I  trust,  if  he  spares  my  life,  he  will  enable  me 
to  be  faithful  to  his  cause.  1  have  no  desire 
to  lire  in  this  world,  but  to  be  engaged  in  his 
service. 

It  was  my  intention  to  instruct  the  people 
more  than  I  had  done,  when  1  returned  from 
Brainerd;  but  when  I  got  home,  I  was  not  able 
to  do  it. 

It  was  a  great  trial  to  me  not  to  be  able  to 
visit  our  neighbours,  and  instruct  them.  But 
I  feel  that  it  is  all  right.  It  is  my  prayer 
that  you  may  be  useful,  and  I  hope  the  Lord 
will  make  you  useful  to  our  poor  people. 

From  your  affectionate  sister 

Catharine. 

How  much  soever  her  hopes,  and  those  of 
her  friends  were  raised  at  this  period,  with 
respect  to  her  recovery,  they  were  of  brief 
duration.  Though  every  attention,  which 
an  unwearied  kindness  could  bestow,  was 
given  her,  and  prayer  was  offered  continu- 
ally on  her  behalf,  her  Lord  and  Master 
was  pleased  to  hasten  her  departure.  She 
had  entered  the  last  six  weeks  of  her  life, 
13* 


146  MEMOIR  OP 

and  thenceforward  her  descent  towards  the 
grave,  was  regular  and  unremitted. 

Dr.  Campbell  now  thought  it  his  duty  to  in- 
form her  parents  and  herself,  that  his  hopes, 
even  of  her  partial  recovery,  were  gone. 

Upon  communicating  this  intelligence  to 
her  father,  who  a  little  before  had  come  to 
Limestone,  the  good  old  man,  after  a  solemn 
silence  of  several  minutes,  observed,  uThe 
Lord  has  been  good  to  give  me  such  a  child, 
and  he  has  a  right  to  take  her  when  he 
thinks  best.  But  though  it  is  my  duty  to  give 
her  up,  it  is  hard  to  part  with  her." 

Catharine  received  the  notice  without 
manifesting  the  least  alarm,  only  requesting 
the  doctor  to  inform  her,  how  long  she  might 
probably  live. 

On  the  morning  of  July  17th,  she  was  sup- 
posed to  have  commenced  her  last  agonies, 
and  Dr.  Campbell  was  immediately  called  to 
her  bed-side. 

UI  found,"  says  he,  "some  appearance  of 
anxiety  on  her  countenance,  which  was  the 
result  of  new  sensations  of  bodily  distress, 
end  not  of  any  agitation  of  mind.  As  soon  as 
she   could   speak,   (for   she  was   sometimes 


CATHARINE  BROWN.  147 

speechless,)  extending  her  hand  to  me,  she 
calmly  observed,  *i  am  gone.' 

"Some  hours  after  this,  when  her  distress 
returned,  and  her  respiration  became  very 
difficult  and  painful,  she  said,  in  reference  to 
her  sufferings,  'What  shall  I  do?'  I  inquired, 
if,  in  this  trying  hour,  she  could  not  confi- 
dently rely  on  her  Saviour  ?  She  answered, 
'Yes.' 

"Through  the  day  her  mind  was  perfectly- 
tranquil,  and  though  several  times,  when  her 
mother  and  friends  were  weeping  about  her, 
the  tears  would  start  into  her  eyes,  she  would 
quickly  suppress  them.  She  seemed  to  spend 
most  of  the  time  in  prayer. 

"The  night  was  one  of  considerable  dis- 
tress, owing  to  her  difficulty  of  breathing. 
In  the  morning  she  looked  toward  the  win- 
dow, and  asked  me  if  it  was  not  day.  I 
replied,  that  it  was.  She  then  turned  her 
eyes  towards  heaven,  and  an  indescribable 
placidness    spread    over    her    countenance. 

"Perhaps  she  thought,  that  the  next  morn- 
ing she  should  behold,  would  be  the  morning 
of  the  resurrection. 


148  MEMOIR   OF 

"As  death  advanced,  and  the  powers  of  na- 
ture gave  way,  she  frequently  offered  her 
hand  to  the  friends  around  her  bed.  Her 
mother  and  sister  weeping  over  her,  she 
looked  steadily  at  the  former,  for  a  short 
time,  filial  love  beaming  from  her  eyes;  and 
then, — she  closed  them  in  the  sleep  of 
death. 

"She  expired  without  a  groan,  or  a  strug- 
gle. Even  those  around  the  bed  scarcely 
knew,  that  the  last  breath  had  left  her,  until 
I  informed  them  she  was  gone. 

"Thus  fell  asleep  this  lovely  saint,  in  the 
arms  of  her  Saviour,  a  little  past  6  o'clock, 
on  the  morning  of  July  13th,  1823." 


Her  afflicted  relatives  conveyed  her  re- 
mains to  Creek-Path,  where  they  were,  on 
the  20th,  deposited  near  the  residence  of  her 
parents,  and  by  the  side  of  her  brother  John, 
who  had  died  about  a  year  and  a  half  be- 
fore, in  the  triumphs  of  the  same  faith. 

Her  age  was  about  twenty-three;  and  six 
years  had  elapsed  from  her  first  entering  the 
school  atBrainerd.     She  was  then  a  heathen, 


CATHARINE  BROWN.  149 

But  she  became  enlightened  and  sanctified, 
through  the  instrumentality  of  the  Gospel  of 
Jesus,  preached  to  her  by  the  missionaries  of 
the  cross;  and  her  end  was  glorious. 

A  neat  monument  of  wood,  erected  by  her 
bereaved  relatives,  covers  the  grave  where 
she  was  laid.  And  though,  a  few  years 
hence,  this  monument  may  no  longer  exist  to 
mark  .the  spot  where  she  slumbers,  yet  shall 
her  dust  be  precious  in  the  eyes  of  the  Lord, 
and  her  virtues  shall  be  told  for  a  memorial 
of  her. 


150  MEMOIR    OF 


CHAPTER  VI. 

HER    CHARACTER. 

Her  mental    characteristics. — Her   attainments 
in  intellectual  and  moral  science. — Changes  in 

her  affections. Her    Christian    cona\ict. — 

Conclusion. —  The  excellencies  in  her  charac- 
ter a  result  of  missionary  labour. — How  much 
can  be  made  of  the  Indian  character. — Grounds 
of  encouragement. — Importance  of  present  ef- 
forts.— Civilization  never  precedes  Christian- 
ity.— The  life  of  Catharine  an  appeal  to  the 
community. 

A  summary  view  will  now  be  taken  of  the 
character  of  Catharine  Brown,  as  it  is  exhibit- 
ed in  the  documents,  which  have  been  the 
basis   of  the  preceding  memoir. 

I. "  Her  mental  characteristics. 

The  mind  of  Catharine  was  of  a  delicate 
texture,  well  proportioned,  and  happily  bal- 
anced.    Its  perception    was  clear,  its  judg- 


CATHARINE    BROWN.  151 

ment  correct,  and  it  was  well  endued  with 
that  invaluable  quality  in  the  intellectual 
economy,  good  sense.  In  the  acquisition  of 
knowledge,  it  moved  easily,  and,  considering 
her  circumstances  and  health,  wrought  with 
success.  In  communicating  to  others  what  she 
knew,  she  had,  owing  to  the  clearness  of  her 
apprehensions,  more  than  common  felicity. 

And  who  has  not  remarked  her  delicate 
sensibility,  her  exact  views  of  dignity  and 
propriety,  her  high  principles  of  action,  and 
her  gentleness  and  sweetness  of  manner?  With 
her  advantages  of  person,  and  her  excellen- 
cies of  mind,  she  needed  only  greater  oppor- 
tunities, to  have  attained  that  high  degree  of 
refinement  and  grace,  which  is  so  much  ad- 
mired in  the  more  elegant  portion  of  civilized 
society. 

But,  until  she  came  to  the  age,  at  which  the 
females  of  our  nation  have  nearly,  or  quite, 
completed  their  education,  she  derived  no  ben- 
efit whatever  from  the  perusal  of  books,  and 
enjoyed  very  little  intercourse  with  civilized 
people.  Her  mind,  like  the  wilderness  in 
which  she  had  her  home,  was  uncultivated. 
But  a  small  degree  of  intellectual,  and  scarce- 


152  MEMOIR    OP 

lyany  moral  truth,  had  enlightened  it.  Bacon, 
and  Newton,  and  Locke,  and  St.  Paul,  and 
a  multitude  of  others  possessing  powerful 
intellects,  who  had  brought  the  grandest  truths 
in  the  natural  and  moral  worlds  within  the 
comprehension  of  infantile  genius,  had,  so  iar 
as  she  was  concerned,  lived  in  vain.  In  short, 
even  at  that  late  period,  she  had  every  thing 
to  learn. 

She  lived  but  six  years  after  her  admission 
to  the  school  at  Brainerd.  A  desire  for 
knowledge  evidently  brought  her  there;  and 
that  same  desire,  strengthened  and  sanctified 
by  grace,  attended  her  through  life. 

II.    Her  attainments. 

1.  Concerning  those  attainments,  which 
are  not  of  a  moral  nature,  it  will  be  need- 
less to  enter  into  a  lengthened  specification. 
It  may,  indeed,  be  impossible  for  us,  into 
whose  minds  knowledge  has  been  industri- 
ously poured  from  our  earliest  years,  to  form 
a  just  conception  of  her  intellectual  state, 
before  she  had  access  to  the  ordinary  sources 
of  information,  or  to  ascertain,  with  preci- 
sion, what  revolutions   occurred  in  her  ap- 


CATHARINE    BROWN.  153 

prehensions  of  things.  But  there  can  be  no 
doubt  that  most,  even  of  the  elements  of 
learning,  came  before  her  in  the  garb  of 
novelty,  and  that  the  field  of  her  vision  ex- 
panded, till  she  at  length  found  herself  intro- 
duced into  quite  a  different  sphere,  from  that, 
which  had  interested  the  curiosity  of  her 
opening  youth. 

It  is  affecting  to  think  of  the  great  mental 
changes,  which  were  necessary,  even  to  place 
her  on  a  level  with  the  ordinary  intelligence 
of  civilized  life.  But  it  is  delightful  to  con- 
template these  changes  as  more  than  accom- 
plished. To  a  few  of  the  more  important  of 
them  the  attention  of  the  reader  is,  for  a 
moment,  invited. 

Her  acquaintance  with  the  geographical 
features  of  the  earth,  must  have  been  ex- 
ceedingly vague  and  limited,  hardly  extend- 
ing beyond  the  wilderness,  that  embosomed 
her  father's  house.  After  her  introduc- 
tion to  the  missionaries,  that  acquaintance 
was  extended  to  the  great  natural  divisions  of 
the  world,  its  physical  aspect,  and  its  civil 
departments. 

14 


154  MEMOIR    OF 

Her  astronomical  views,  untutored  as  she 
was,  may  easily  be  conjectured.  But  she 
was  instructed  to  contemplate  worlds  and 
suns  and  systems,  in  uncounted  numbers, 
wheeling,  at  the  command  of  their  Creator, 
through  immensity. 

Her  apprehensions  respecting  the  human 
race  were  so  imperfect,  that  she  supposed  her 
own  people  a  distinct  order  of  beings.  But 
soon  she  learns,  that  God  "hath  made  of  one 
blood  all  nations  of  men." 

How  exceedingly  confined,  also,  how  next 
to  nothing,  must  have  been  her  knowledge  of 
history.  Ages  that  were  past,  must  have 
been  to  her  almost  as  much  a  blank,  as  ages 
that  were  to  come.  But  soon  the  Bible,  the 
wisest,  most  sure,  most  comprehensive  his- 
tory of  man,  is  placed  in  her  hands;  and  she 
has  besides,  access  to  a  variety  of  the  most 
useful  human  compends.  Being  thus  favour- 
ed, it  may  well  be  presumed,  that  the  more 
interesting  events  of  antiquity  rose,  in  rapid 
succession,  above  her  mental  horizon. 

Such  changes  as  these  elevate  the  mind 
immeasurably  above  the  standard  of  the 
mere  child  of  nature,  and,   when  beheld  in 


CATHARINE    BROWN.  155 

any  human  soul,  must  be,  to  a  philanthropist, 
a  subject   of  grateful  contemplation. 

2.  The  greatest  and  infinitely  the  most 
important  acquisitions  of  Catharine,  however, 
had  respect  to  moral  subjects, — to  God,  and  a 
future  state,  to  the  character,  duty  and  highest 
interest  of  man,  and  the  provisions  made  for 
his  salvation.  On  all  subjects  of  this  class., 
her  ideas,  when  she  came  to  Brainerd,  were 
very  confused  and  imperfect;  and  in  regard  to 
some  of  the  most  momentous  of  them,  she 
was  in  total  ignorance.  She  went  there  an 
untutored  pagan.  Scarcely  a  ray  of  moral 
light  had  gleamed  upon  her  soul.  The  visi- 
ble creation  was  indeed  open  and  bright  be- 
fore her.  But  how  little  of  the  divine  per- 
fections does  fallen  man  discern  there,  until 
they  are  pointed  out  by  the  finger  of  revela- 
tion! 

Of  the  moral  perfections  of  God,  such  as 
his  holiness,  justice,  and  goodness,  she  had  no 
conceptions  at  all,  when  she  entered  the 
mission  school.  Her  knowledge  of  God,  like 
that  of  most  of  her  countrymen,  was  con- 
fined almost  to  the  narrowest  possible  limits. 
Galunlahtiahi,  or  the  Great  Being  above,    was 


156  MEMOIR    OF 

thought  to  possess  a  material  form,  and  his  most 
prominent  attribute  to  be  physical  strength. 
The  Indian  languages  are  said  to  have  no 
word  that  signifies  spirit,  nor  the  pagan 
Indians  any  idea  of  a  spiritual  substance.  The 
spirituality  of  Jehovah,  his  holy  character, 
his  love  of  holiness,  his  hatred  of  sin,  the 
strictness  of  his  law,  his  righteous  govern- 
ment over  the  world,  and  his  illimitable  be- 
nevolence, were  things  of  which  Catharine 
knew  little,  or  nothing. 

But  soon  we  find  her  mind  richly  furnished 
with  all  these  views  of  God.  His  moral  per- 
fections arrest  her  attention,  and  she  sees,  in 
all  their  exhibitions,  a  lovely  and  attractive 
glory.  What  new  views  of  the  Eternal 
must  they  have  been,  which  drew  forth  such 
language  as  this: — uO,  he  is  good,  kind,  mer- 
ciful.'" "I  feel  it  is  good  to  be  afflicted, 
knowing  that  the  Lord  is  good,  and  will  al- 
ways do  what  is  right."  "I  thank  God,  I  am 
entirely  in  his  hands."  "The  Lord's  will  be 
done,  and  not  mine."  "O  happy  day,  when 
God  himself  shall  be  my  joy!"  No  heathen 
ever  used  such  language  as  this.  It  springs 
only  from  the  illuminations  of  Christianity . 


CATHARINE    BROWN.  157 

Of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  she  had  no  knowl- 
edge, when  introduced  to  the  missionaries; 
and  when  told  of  him,  for  the  first  time,  she 
supposed,  that  what  he  had  done  for  sinners 
had  no  reference  to  her,  or. her  people. 

But  the  united  testimony  of  all  is,  that,  after 
her  conversion,  the  Saviour  was  her  favour- 
ite theme  of  contemplation  and  discourse. 
He  was  her  alpha  and  omega,  her  all  in 
all.  His  person,  character,  and  work,  ap- 
peared to  her  amazingly  interesting.  How 
often  does  she  express  a  desire  to  know  him 
better,  to  love  him  more,  to  be  more  grate- 
ful for  what  he  has  done,  to  do  more  in  re- 
turn, to  be  with  him,  to  see  him,  and  to  sing 
his  praises.  "O,"  she  exclaims,  "how  de- 
lightful is  the  view  of  my  Saviour."  "He  is 
precious  to  me.  I  often  enjoy  his  presence. 
I  long  to  be  where  I  can  enjoy  him  without 
sin."  "He  has  bought  me  with  his  blood,  and 
I  wish  not  to  have  any  will  of  my  own.  He 
is  good,  and  can  do  nothing  wrong." 

And  what  new  views  did  she  acquire,  with 
regard  to   the  people  of  God.     At  first,  she 
thought  them  unhappy,  and  was  fearful  they 
*14 


15S  MEMOIR    OF 

would  render  her  unhappy.  But  soon  she 
thinks  them  the  happiest  people  in  the  world, 
and  longs  for  their  society  more  than  for  that 
of  any  others.  With  them  she  wishes  to 
live,  with  them  to  die,  with  them  to  he  for- 
ever. What  amount  of  earthly  good  would 
have  induced  her  to  forego  their  company, 
for  a  single  year,  and  cast  her  lot  among  the 
giddy  sons  and  daughters  of  fashionable  pleas- 
ure? 

"1  cannot,"  she  remarks,  "express  how 
much  I  love  the  missionaries  with  whom  I 
live.  I  feel  not  my  privileges,  until  I  am 
away  from  them,  and  mingle  with  worldly 
people.  Then  I  long  to  get  back,  and  be 
with  Christians.'"  "I  often  think  of  the  glo- 
rious day,  when  I  shall  meet  all  good  mis- 
sionaries in  the  kingdom  of  our  Saviour.  I 
shall  then  be  always  with  those  dear  friends, 
who  have  told  me  so  much  about  heaven, 
and  taught  me  to  love  and  serve  Christ." 
"O,  happy  day,  when  I  shall  see  all  the 
Christians,  who  have  ever  lived." 

We  also  perceive  a  great  alteration  in  her 
views  of  herself '.    She  has  declared,  that  when 


CATHARINE    BROWN.  159 

she  came  to  Brainerd,  she  did  not  know 
she  was  a  sinner;  and  we  are  informed,  that 
she  was  vain  of  her  person,  vain  of  her  dec- 
orations, and  satisfied  with  herself. 

Yet  what  self-abasing  views  had  she,  ever 
after  her  conversion.  uIsee  nothing-,"  she  ob- 
serves, uto  trouble  me,  but  my  wicked  heart. 
It  appears  to  me,  that  the  more  I  wish  to 
serve  God,  the  more  I  sin.  I  seem  never  to 
have  done  any  thing  good  in  the  sight  of 
God." 

"Humility,"  says  Mrs.  Potter,  "was  the 
most  conspicuous  trait  in  her  character.  I 
never  could  discover,  that  her  vanity  was 
excited  by  the  numerous  attentions,  which  she 
received  from  different  parts  of  our  country. 
She  received  them  as  paid  her  for  Christ's 
sake.  When  presents  came,  her  language 
was,  'These  do  not  belong  to  me.  I  do  not 
deserve  them.  Many  Christians  have  heard, 
that  I  love  the  Saviour,  and  send  me  pres- 
ents on  this  account.  But  oh,  I  feel  ashamed 
that  1  live  so  far  from  him.' 

"She  received  many  letters,  some  of  which 
were  highly  complimentary;  but  so  far  from 
fostering   pride,  they   always   seemed  to  in- 


160  MEMOIR    OF 

crease  her  humility.  Once,  having  received 
a  letter  full  of  expressions  of  the  strongest 
admiration  of  her  character,  she  was  gently 
cautioned  against  being  lifted  up  with  vanity. 
The  tears  started  into  her  eyes,  and  she  re- 
plied, 4  do  not  wish  to  be  proud;'  and  added, 
'that  she  believed  people  had  formed  too  high 
an  opinion  of  her,  and  that  if  they  knew  her 
personally,  their  esteem  would  be  dimin- 
ished.' 

"She  was  much  distressed,  that  so  many  of 
her  letters  had  been  published,  and,  for  a 
season,  it  was  with  difficulty,  that  we  could 
persuade  her  to  write  to  her  correspond- 
ents. 'I  suppose,'  she  said,  'the  object  at 
first  was,  to  show  that  an  Indian  could  im- 
prove. But  two  or  three  letters  would  have 
answered  this  purpose,  as  well  as  all  I  have 
ever  written.'  "* 

Mr.  Leech  says,  "I  have  often  seen 
her  in  company  at  Huntsville,  and  although 
she  was  very  much  caressed,  and  her  society 

*  Her  letters  were  published,  by  different  friends  to  whom  they 
were  addressed,  to  gratify  the  laudible  curiosity  of  the  community. 
It  is  proper  to  remark,  however,  that  not  more  than  two  or  three 
were  ever  inserted  in  the  publications  of  the  American  Board. 


CATHARINE    BROWN.  161 

sought,  by  the  most  respectable  people,  yet 
she  always  appeared  humble.  There  was 
nothing  about  her,  that  was  vain,  or  assuming. 
This  was  not  the  effect  of  insensibiliiy  to 
those  acts  of  kindness.  She  would  sometimes 
say  to  her  particular  friends.  ;I  wish  I  was 
more  worthy   of  such    friendly    attentions.' " 

Observe,  too,  what  a  revolution  was  effected 
in  her  views  of  this  world.  An  Indian's  heaven, 
even  when  most  distinctly  apprehended,  has 
fewer  points  of  attraction,  than  the  earth. 
Catharine,  on  coming  to  Brainerd,  evidently 
regarded  it,  when  she  thought  of  it  at  all, 
as  a  remote,  obscure,  undefined  something, 
more  to  be  dreaded,  than  desired.  Hence 
her  imagination  had  contemplated  whatever 
is  lovely  and  attractive,  as  shining  forth  only 
in  this  world.  If  she  made  any  comparisons, 
they  only  deepened  the  conviction,  that 
earthly  objects  were  most  desirable. 

But  after  her  conversion,  what  a  change! 
Her  contemplations  are  elevated  to  a  superior 
world  of  realities.  She  learns  of  a  higher 
state  of  existence,  designed  for  the  good  of 
the  human  race;  where   the  inhabitants  are 


162  memoir  or 

all  holy,  their  employments  holy,  their  joys 
holy;  where  the  disorders  and  miseries  of 
earth  are  not  known;  where  "there  shall  be 
no  more  death,  neither  sorrow,  nor  crying, 
neither  shall  there  be  any  more  pain;"  and 
where  there  is  "no  need  of  the  sun,  neither 
of  the  moon,  to  shine  in  it,  for  the  glory  of 
God  doth  lighten  it,  and  the  Lamb  is  the  light 
thereof."  Now,  her  views  of  the  world  are 
changed.  The  contrast  of  earthly  with  heav- 
enly things,  and  of  the  creature  with  God,  hath 
spoiled  the  glories  of  the  world. 

"How  vain,"  she  says,  "does  this  world  ap- 
pear in  my  eyes.  It  is  nothiog  but  vanity  and 
sin."  "Sweet  and  reviving  is  the  thought, 
that  I  am  not  to  continue  long  in  this  world, 
but  hope  soon  to  rest  in  the  city  of  my  God." 
"When  I  enjoy  the  presence  of  my  Saviour,  I 
long  to  be  gone."  "How  happy  shall  I  feel, 
when  I  land  on  the  shores  of  eternal  fe- 
licity." 

To  proceed  farther  in  this  analysis,  is  un- 
necessary. Enough  has  been  said  to  illustrate 
the  changes,  which  occurred  in  her  apprehen- 
sions on  moral  subjects.     She  seems  to  have 


CATHARINE    BROWN.  163 

possessed  much  of  that  kind  of  understanding, 
which  is  denominated,  in  the  word  of  God,  a 
"spiritual  understanding."  She  appears  to 
have  received  a  spiritual  discernment,  which 
enabled  her,  by  the  simple  reading  of  the 
Scriptures,  meditation  and  prayer,  to  acquire 
a  knowledge  of  the  hidden  glories  of  spiritual 
things.  Hence,  the  spiritual  world,  which  had 
been  concealed  before  her  conversion,  was 
to  her,  ever  after,  a  world  of  beauties,  upon 
which  she  loved   to  dwell. 


III.     Changes  in  her  affections. 

The  objects  of  all  human  affections  may  be 
divided  into  two  grand  classes,  which  are  de- 
signated, in  the  divine  word,  as  things  earthly, 
and  things  heavenly.  The  earthly  things,  are 
the  riches,  honours,  and  pleasures  of  the 
world.  The  heavenly  things,  are  whatever 
bear  the  marks  of  a  heavenly  origin,  or  of  a 
heavenly  destination;  such  as  God,  and  holy 
beings,  and  sacred  truth. 

When  Catharine  first  became  acquainted 
with  the  missionaries,  her  affections  were 
resting  wholly  on  the  former  class  of  objects. 


164  MEMOIR    OF 

But  how  much  evidence  is  there,  that,  before 
her  decease,  there  was  almost  an  entire  trans- 
fer of  her  affections;  that  they  rested  almost 
wholly  on  heavenly  things. 

With  respect  to  the  general  character  of 
her  religious  affections,  it  may  be  remarked, 
that  they  were  uniformly  tender,  often  lively, 
hut  never    enthusiastic.     Dr.    Campbell    ob- 
serves,   "that    she    never    appeared     to   re- 
ceive the  Christian  system  of  faith  otherwise 
than  on  the  force  of  evidence,  and  that  evi- 
dence drawn  from  the  Bible.     The    extrava- 
gance of  feeling,  which  is  the  effect  chiefly  of 
animal  excitement,  she  could  not  comprehend, 
but  felt  satisfied  with  possessing  that  holiness 
of  heart,   which   leads    to  supreme  love    to 
God." — "She   was    never  enthusiastic,"  says 
Mrs.  Potter,  "yet  had  seasons  of  exalted  joy, 
when,  to  use  her  own  language,  'she  felt  as 
though   she   was   in   heaven,   and  was  disap- 
pointed, when  her  thoughts  returned  to  earth, 
and  she  found  herself  here!'    She  had,  also, 
seasons  of  deep  sorrow   of  heart,  when  she 
mourned  the  hidings  of  her  Saviour's  counte- 
nance, and  groaned  under  the  pressure  of  in- 
dwelling sin." 


CATHARINE     BROWN.  165 

Catharine  possessed  nothing-  of  that  stoical 
insensibility  to  pleasure,  or  pain,  for  which  the 
Indian  character  has  been  considered  remark- 
able. There  was  never  any  thing  in  her  de- 
portment like  unfeeling  hardihood.  The  very 
reverse  of  this  was  true.  She  had  a  heart 
for  friendship,  for  sympathy,  for  tender  emo- 
tion. This  is  apparent  in  all  her  writings, 
and  in  her  whole  history;  and  is  amply  con- 
firmed by  her  intimate  friend  and  companion, 
Mrs.  Potter.  She  remarks,  "Catharine  pos- 
sessed a  heart,  that  could  feel  for  another's 
wo,  and  rejoice  in  another's  prosperity." 

To  the  Saviour  her  love  was  uncommonly 
strong,  and  continued  so,  in  eyery  variety  of 
circumstance.  Who  has  not  been  impressed 
with  this,  while  reading  her  journal,  her  let- 
ters, and  her  recorded  sayings,  and  while 
contemplating  the  events  of  her  life?  Love  to 
the  Saviour,  was  her  ruling  principle.  She 
knew  his  voice.  She  delighted  to  sit  at  his 
feet.  She  was  overwhelmed  with  wonder  at 
his  condescending  goodness.  She  was  enrap- 
tured at  the  thought  of  beholding  his  face. 
Hear  her  own  words.  UI  will  go  wherever  the 
Saviour  calls  me."  "How  good  it  is  to  lie 
15 


166  MEMOIR    OP 

at  the  feet  of  Jesus/'  uO  how  good  is  he  ip 
permitting  me  to  partake  of  his  grace." 
"Sweet  is  the  thought  of  soon  beholding  the 
face    of  the  Redeemer." 

Here  again  Dr.  Campbell  will  be  quoted. 
"The  Saviour  seemed  to  be  continually  the 
anchor  of  her  hope,  the  source  of  her  constant 
and  greatest  happiness,  and  the  object  of  her 
most  ardent  iove.  With  her  friends,  she  was 
at  all  times  communicative  and  interesting; 
but  when  He  became  the  theme  of  conversa- 
tion, the  faculties  of  her  soul  appeared  to  re- 
ceive new  vigour,  and  she  became  doubly  in- 
teresting. Every  expression  shewed,  that 
she  was  charmed  with  the  goodness  of  God, 
in  making  such  provision  for  fallen,  lost  man. 
Although  on  other  subjects  she  was  not  gen- 
erally very  animated,  her  whole  soul  seemed 
to  feel  the  importance  of  this,  which  produced 
an  earnestness  of  expression  and  manner,  that 
constrained  those  around  her  to  feel  its  im- 
portance too." 

Hence  she  felt,  and  uniformly  manifested,  a 
deep  interest  in  the  cause  of  Christ.  Especially 
did  she  long  to  have  her  own  people  savingly 
acquainted  with  the  Lord  Jesus.  For  this  object 


CATHARINE    BKOWN.  167 

chiefly  she  wished  to  live.  This  made  her 
almost  unwilling  to  die.  "My  heart  bleeds 
for  my  poor  people,"  was  her  language;  "I 
am  determined  to  pray  for  them,  while  God 
lends  me  breath." 

Her  biographer  might  enlarge,  upon  her 
dependence  on  God,  which  led  her  beautifully 
to  say,  "I  am  a  child,  I  can  do  nothing;  but  in 
God  will  I  trust,  for  I  know  there  is  no  one 
else,  to  whom  can  I  look  for  help.  "  He  might 
speak  of  her  tender  affection  for  her  friends; 
of  her  gratitude  for  favours  shewn  her;  and 
of  her  compassion  for  the  world  at  large. 
But  enough  has  been  said  to  shew,  that  she 
possessed  much,  very  much  of  the  meek 
and  glowing  benevolence  of  the  Gospel. 

"Fair  spirit,  nurs'd  in  forest  wild, 
Where  caught  thy  breast  those  sacred  flames?" 

IV.     Her  christian  conduct. 

There  is  no  reason  to  believe,  that  any 
thing  in  the  conduct  of  Catharine  ever  ap- 
proached to  what  is  denominated  immoral. 
And  this  is  very  remarkable,  considering  her 
early  circumstances.     Yet,  until  she  came  to 


165  MEMOIR    OF 

Brainerd.  she  was  not  religious.  She  did  not 
lead  a  life  of  piety.  Till  then,  the  only  ten- 
dency of  her  mind  and  heart  and  conduct, 
was  towards  the  world.  As  she  neither  knew, 
nor  loved  ''those  things  which  are  above,"  so 
neither  did  she  seek  them. 

But  a  change  occurred  in  her  objects  of 
pursuit;  a  revolution  took  place  in  the  general 
course  and  tenor  of  her  life.  We  find  new 
aims,  new  plans,  new  habits  of  action.  "Old 
things  are  passed  away." 

Her  habits  of  devotion  might  well  render  her 
an  example  to  others.  Not  only  did  she  de- 
light to  be  present  in  the  public  assembly,  not 
only  did  she  love  to  gather  little  circles  of  her 
Cherokee  friends  for  social  prayer,  but  she 
was  constant  and  earnest  in  her  more  private 
approaches  to  her  God  and  Saviour. 

Mrs.  Potter  observes;  "The  Bible,  was 
her  constant  companion.  The  law  of  God  was 
her  delight  and  meditation  all  the  day. 
And  I  think  I  may  safely  say,  that  no  morn- 
ing, or  evening  passed,  during  her  residence 
with  us,  (which  was  considerably  more  than 
a  year,)  when  she  did  not  retire  to  hold  com- 
munion with  her  God.     At  these   seasons  of 


CATHARINE     BROWN.  169 

devotion,  I  was  not  unfrequently  permitted  to 
be  by  her  side,  and  listen  to  the  fervent 
breathings  of  her  soul.  In  strains  of  the 
deepest  humility,  she  confessed  her  sins, 
acknowledged  her  obligations  to  her  heaven- 
ly Father,  and  with  great  fervency  prayed 
for  complete  conformity  to  the  divine  will. 
Her  dear  people  were  never  forgotten,  and 
her  petitions  were  extended  from  them  to 
all  mankind." 

Her  zeal  was  not  an  irregular,  evanescent 
flame.  It  was  permanent,  and  always  active. 
How  faithful,  laborious,  and  successful  she 
was,  with  respect  to  her  own  family,  has  been 
noticed  in  the  preceding  memoir.  A  more 
kind,  attentive,  and  obliging  daughter  and  sis- 
ter, than  was  Catharine  Brown,  or  one  more 
faithfully  solicitous  for  the  spiritual  good  of 
her  relatives,  is  scarcely  to  be  found,  it  is  be- 
lieved, in  any  civilized  land. 

Nor  was  she  ever  unmindful  of  the  duties  she 
owed  her  people,  and  she  seems  to  have  close- 
ly watched  for  opportunities  to  do  them  good. 
Indeed,  their  conversion  to  God  was  her  fa- 
vourite object,  to  which  she  clung,  with  un- 
yielding tenacity,  through  every  vicissi- 
*15 


170  MEMOIR    OF 

tude  of  health  and  circumstance,  down  to-  the 
hour  of  her  dissolution. 

"Patient  she  strives. 
By  prayer,  and  by  instruction,  to  arouse 
Reflection  in  the  hearts  of  those  she  styles 
Her  wretched  people.    Modest,  tender,  kind 
Her  words  and  actions;  every  vain  desire 
I9  laid  obedient  at  the  feet  of  Christ. 
And  now  no  more  the  gaiety  she  seeks 
Of  proud  apparel;  ornaments  of  gold 
She  gladly  barters  for  the  plain  attire 
Of  meek  and  lowly  spirits."* 

It  cannot  be  forgotten  by  the  reader,  how 
diligently  she  pursued  her  studies,  both  at 
Brainerd  and  at  Creek-Path,  in  order  that 
she  might  be  more  eminently  fitted  for  use- 
fulness; nor  bow  meekly  she  bore  those  ac- 
quisitions, which  elevated  her  above  every 
other  female  of  her  trihe. 

That  there  were  defects  in  her  Christian 
character,  must  be  presumed,  in  the  absence 
of  positive  proof,  from  analog}'.  The  best 
Christians  have  failings.  But  what  were 
hers  ?  The  materials  for  this  memoir  were 
furnished  by  a  considerable  number  of  per- 
sons, who  knew  her  well;  and,  without  seem- 
ing to  have  been  conscious  of  the  omission, 
not  one  of  them  has  specified   a  single  fault 

*  Traits  of  the  Aborigines  of  America,  pp.  161, 162. 


CATHARINE    BROWN.  171 

in  her  character,  as  a  Christian.  Mrs.  P.  has 
simply  said,  that  she  was  not  entirely  free 
from  the  inadvertences  of  youth.  It  would 
seem,  therefore,  and  there  is  reason  to  be- 
lieve it  was  the  fact,  that  her  failings, 
whatever  they  might  be,  were  not  such  as 
are  apt  to  make  a  strong  impression  on  the 
mind. 

"Through  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus,"  says 
the  first  spiritual  guide  she  ever  had,  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Kingsbury,  "she  was  enabled  to 
bring  forth  the  fruits  of  righteousness,  has 
left  a  bright  example  of  the  power  of  divine 
grace  over  one  who  was  born  in  the  darkness 
of  heathenism,  and  is  now  rejoicing  with  her 
Saviour." 

CONCLUSION. 

Such  was  Catharine  Brown,  the  converted 
Cherokee.  Such,  too,  were  the  changes 
wrought  in  her,  through  the  blessing  of  Al- 
mighty God  on  the  labours  of  Missionaries. 
They,  and  only  they,  as  the  instruments  of 
divine  grace,  had  the  formation  of  her  Chris- 
tian character;  and  that  character,  excellent 
and  lovely  as  it  was,  resulted  from  the  nature 


172  MEMOIR   or 

of  their  instructions.  Her  expansion  of  mind 
her  enlargement  of  views,  her  elevated  affec- 
tions, her  untiring  benevolence,  are  all  to  be 
traced,  under  God,  to  her  intercourse  with 
them.  The  glory  belongs  to  God;  but  the  in- 
strumental agency,  the  effective  labour,  the 
subordinate  success,  were  theirs. 

In  her  history,  we  see  how  much  can  be 
made  of  the  Indian  character.  Catharine  was 
an  Indian.  She  might  have  said,  as  her  brother 
did  to  thousands,  while  passing  through  these 
States,  "Aboriginal  blood  flows  through  my 
veins."  True,  it  was  not  unmixed;  but  the 
same  may  be  affirmed  of  many  others  of  her 
people.  Her  parentage,  her  early  cir- 
cumstances and  education,  with  a  few  unim- 
portant exceptions,  were  like  those  of  the 
Cherokees  generally.  She  dwelt  in  the  same 
wilderness,  was  conversant  with  the  same  so- 
ciety, was  actuated  by  the  same  fears,  and 
hopes,  and  expectations,  and  naturally  possess- 
ed the  same  traits  of  character.  Yet  what  did 
she  become!  How  agreeable  as  an  associate, 
how  affectionate  as  a  friend,  how  exemplary 
as  a  member  of  the  domestic  and  social  circle 
and  of  the  Christian  church,  how  blameless  and 
lovely  in  all  the  walks  of  life!  Her  Christian 


CATHARINE    BROWN.  173 

character  was  esteemed  by  all  who  knew  her, 
while  she  lived,  and  will  bear  the  strictest 
scrutiny,  now  she  is  dead.  To  such  an  excel- 
lence may  the  Indian  character  attain;  for,  to 
such  an  excellence  did  it  actually  attain  in  her. 

And  why  may  it  not  arrive  at  the  same  ex- 
cellence, in  other  Indians?  Are  there  no  other 
minds  among  them  as  susceptible  of  discipline 
and  culture?  no  other  spirits,  that,  in  the  plas- 
tic hands  of  the  Divine  Agent,  can  receive  as 
beautiful  a  conformation  ?  Are  there  not  dis- 
positions as  gentle,  hearts  as  full  of  feeling, 
minds  as  lively  and  strong?  And  cannot  such 
minds  be  so  fashioned  and  adorned,  that  heav- 
enly grace  shall  beam  as  charmingly  from 
them,  as  it  did  from  hers? 

The  supposition,  that  she  possessed  mental 
and  moral  capabilities,  which  are  rare  among 
her  people,  while  it  adds  nothing  to  our  respect 
for  her,  does  injustice  to  her  nation.  In  per- 
sonal attraction,  and  in  universal  propriety  of 
manner,  she  was,  undoubtedly,  much  distin- 
guished. But,  in  amiableness  of  disposition,  in 
quickness  of  apprehension,  in  intellectual  vig- 
our, it  is  believed  there  are  hundreds  of 
Cherokee  youth,  who  are  scarcely  less  fa- 
voured. 


174  MEMOIR    OF 

In  confirmation  of  this,  will  be  given  the  de- 
scription of  a  school,  composed  entirely  of 
young  Cherokees,  from  the  pen  of  a  clergy- 
man, whose  accuracy  of  judgment,  and  faithful- 
ness of  description,  have  never  been  questioned. 

"It  has  never  been  according  to  our  views  of  propriety  and  expedi- 
ency to  be  lavish  in  commendations  of  our  schools;  lest  we  should 
seem  to  colour  high  and  exaggerate,  or  to  indulge  in  pride  and  vain 
glory.  We  think,  however,  (and  we  would  ever  think  soberly,)  that 
much  might  be  said  in  favour  of  the  schools  at  Dwight,  without  in 
any  measure  departing  from  "words  of  truth  and  soberness."  I 
would  not  draw  invidious  comparisons,  between  the  schools  here  and 
those  of  other  similar  institutions.  But  I  would  say,  that  I  never  saw, 
at  any  place,  in  any  country,  more  interesting  groups  of  children, 
than  those  at  present  under  our  care:  interesting,  in  almost  every 
point  of  view,  whether  we  consider  them  in  their  relations,  their  ap- 
pearance, their  behaviour,  their  progress,  or  their  prospects. 

"Those,  who,  Avhen  revolving  in  their  thoughts  the  idea  of  Indians 
and  savages,  vainly  imagine  that  nothing  can  belong  to  the  Aborigines 
of  our  country,  except  what  is  frightful  in  appearance ,  and  deeply 
imbued  with  cruelty  and  barbarism,  would  scarcely  believe  them- 
selves to  be  in  an  Indian  school,  when  surrounded  by  the  children, 
which  fill  our  little  sylvan  seminary.  Were  they  here,  they  would 
see  nothing  of  that  coa.seness  of  feature,  nor  ferocity  of  look,  nothing 
like  that  dirty  dress,  ugly  \isage,  and  repelling  countenance,  and 
nothing  of  that  hard,  unkind,  and  cruel  disposition,  which  thty  have 
been  wont  to  associate  vith  the  Indian  character.  But  thry  would 
see  a  lovely  group  of  children,  who,  by  the  regularity  of  their  features, 
their  neat  and  cleanly  dress,  their  fair  complexions,  (fair  indeed  for  a 
sultry  clime,)  their  orderly  and  becoming  behaviour,  their  intelli- 
gence and  sprightliness,  their  mildness  of  disposition,  tempered  with 
a  manly  spirit,  and  thti>-  progress  in  knowledge,  would  not  suffer  by 
a  comparison  with  most  schools  in  a  civilized  land,  nor  disgrace  res- 
pectable parents,  by  passing  as  their  sons  and  daughters. 


CATHARINE    BROWN.  175 

•'Such,  dear  Sir,  are  our  schools  at  Dwight,  our  precious  children, 
not  long  since  brought  from  the  shades  of  the  forest.  We  love  them , 
gnd  we  can  but  love  them,  for  they  are  lovely.  They  are  docile  in  their 
dispositions,  generally  quick  in  their  apprehensions,  prompt  in  their 
obedience,  active  and  sprightly  in  their  sports,  and  diligent  and  am- 
bitious in  their  studies.  Of  the  whole  number  of  sixty,  who  com- 
pose the  school  in  two  departments,  there  are  not  more  than  six  who 
cannot  read  with  ease  in  the  New  Testament,  and  spell  almost  any 
words  put  to  them.  A  considerable  number  can  read  with  propriety 
and  apparent  understanding  any  book,  and  write  a  fair  and  legible 
hand.  Near  one  fourth  of  both  departments  of  the  school  are  pursu- 
ing the  study  of  geography.  Some  of  the  boys  have  made  some 
progress  in  grammar  and  arithmetic,  and  in  some  other  branches.  It 
may  be  said  with  truth,  that  most,  if  not  all,  are  as  forward,  as  the 
children  of  most  district  schools  in  the  most  favoured  part  of  New 
England.  But  what  is  more  interesting  to  the  Christian  is  their  in- 
telligent reading  of  the  Scriptures,  singing  with  delightful  voices  the 
praises  of  God,  and  making  progress  in  a  knowledge  of  the  Gos- 
pel."* 

The  uniform  testimony  respecting  all  the 
other  schools,  which  have  heen  established  by 
the  American  Board,  is  in  accordance  with 
the  above. 

Catharine  was  not  the  only  convert  from 
her  peopie.  There  have  been  others,  both 
among  the  old  and  the  young,  in  whom  simi- 
lar transformations  have  been  wrought.  Her 
brother  John  was  an  instance.  Her  aged  and 
venerable  parents,  who  are  much  and  justly 
respected  by  all  who  know  them,  are  in- 
stances.    Others  still  might  be  named,  were 

*  Missionary  Herald,  vol.  xx,  pp.  345, 346. 


176  MEMOIR    OF 

it  no?  probable  that  these  pages  will  fall 
under  their  notice.  More  than  fifty  Chero- 
kees  were  added  to  the  church,  the  first  year 
after  the  decease  of  Catharine,  the  great  pro- 
portion of  whom  adorn  their  profession  in  a 
manner  resembling  what  we  admire  in  her. 

It  is  hardly  possible,  indeed,  that  any  of 
these  converts  should  become  so  well  known 
to  our  community,  as  she  was.  Circumstances 
have  changed.  The  novelty  of  Indian  mis- 
sions is  gone.  The  multiplication  of  converts 
diminishes  our  curiosity  respecting  individuals. 
But  excellence  and  worth  of  character,  are 
none  the  less  real  for  being  unnoticed  and  un- 
known. 

Here,  then,  we  find  encouragement.  The 
success  of  past  efforts  has  been  rich  in  its  na- 
ture, and  animating  in  its  amount;  and  the 
same  kind  of  instruments,  increased  in  num- 
ber, are  still  employed,  and  employed,  too, 
upon  similar  materials.  The  course  of  divine 
grace,  moreover,  is,  in  some  sense,  uniform, 
like  the  course  of  nature;  so  that  what  Al- 
mighty God  has  done,  in  past  time,  is  an  earn- 
est and  a  pledge  (circumstances  being  the 
same,)  of  what  he  will  do,  in  time  to  come. 
Upon  these  accounts,  among  others,  we   may 


CATHARINE    BROWN.  177 

cherish  raised  expectations.  Should  the  en- 
terprise, which  has  been  commenced  so  aus- 
piciously, be  prosecuted  with  prudence,  zeal, 
and  in  the  fear  of  God,  we  shall  not  be  extrav- 
agant if  we  look  for  the  general  prevalence 
of  pure  religion  among  a  people,  in  the  midst 
of  whom,  at  the  breaking  up  of  their  long 
night  of  paganism,  this  interesting  female  shone 
as  a  morning  star. 

The  present  is  emphatically  the  time  for 
vigorous  Christian  effort.  Probably  it  is  the 
only  time  when  great  success  is  possible.  Va- 
rious unpropitious  causes  press  heavily  upon 
the  poor  Indians;  and  it  is  believed,  that 
nothing  will  save  them  from  extinction,  as  a 
people,  but  the  general  prevalence  of  true  re- 
ligion. All  things  else  will  be  vain  without  this. 

The  position,  that  civilization  must  precede 
Christianity,  is  so  unsupported  by  facts,  is  so 
opposed  to  all  experience,  that  one  would 
think  it  could  hardly  be  advanced  by  enlight- 
ened philosophers,  or  be  received  by  rational 
Christians.  What  is  civilization?  In  Pagan 
and  Mohammedan  countries,  it  is,  it  ever  has 
been,  a  state  of  society,  where  moral  excel- 
lence is  little  known,  and  domestic  and  social 
*16 


178  MEMOIR    OF 

happiness  little  enjoyed;  where  man  is  a 
lordly  tyrant,  and  woman  is  a  slave.  True 
civilization  is  found  only  in  Christian  coun- 
tries; and  no  where,  but  as  the  result  of 
Christianity;  of  Christianity,  too,  planted,  in 
the  first  instance,  by  missionary  enterprise. 

Bring  this  religion  to  act  strongly  upon  the 
Indians.  Give  them  the  full  enjoyment 
of  Christian  ordinances.  Then  their  'winter 
will  be  past,  the  rain  will  be  over  and  gone.' 
Agriculture,  art,  science,  legislation,  and 
literature,  the  germs  of  which  already 
appear,  will  grow  in  rich  luxuriance,  and  the 
Indian  character  will  be  respected  by  the  na- 
tions of  the  earth. 

Let  the  life  of  Catharine  Brown  operate  as 
an  appeal  to  the  benevolence  of  the  Christian 
community.  Though  dead,  she  speaks:  and 
oh,  let  her  voice  fall  with  persuasive  and 
irresistible  eloquence  upon  every  ear. 

Shall  her  people,  of  whom,  by  the  purifying 
and  ennobling  influences  of  the  Gospel,  so 
much  can  be  made,  be  abandoned  to  ignorance 
and  wo?  Shall  beings,  who  are  capable  of 
knowing  God,  of  understanding  the  grand 
economy  of  his  grace,  of  enjoying  the  imper- 
ishable blessings  of  his  salvation,  be  shut  out 


CATHARINE     BROWN.  179 

eternally  from  such  wisdom,  and  debarred  for- 
ever from  such  enjoyment? 

Are  they  not  susceptible  of  whatever  is 
useful,  and  beautiful,  and  even  sublime,  in 
character?  Can  they  not  appreciate,  and  will 
they  not  use,  the  means  of  Christian  civiliza- 
tion, if  placed  within  their  reach? 

And  may  we  not  expect  an  abundant  re- 
ward? Nay,  have  we  not  already  been  amply 
rewarded?  To  say  nothing-  of  the  impulse  given 
to  the  intellect,  the  industry,  and  the  enter- 
prise, of  the  nation,  to  which  the  subject  of 
this  memoir  belonged;  or  of  their  accelerated 
progress  in  legislation  and  government;  or 
of  the  amelioration  in  the  habits  and  man- 
ners of  their  domestic  and  social  life;  or  of 
the  rudiments  ®f  learning  imparted  to  a  mul- 
titude of  children  and  youth;  or  of  the  amount 
of  sacred  truth,  the  only  means  of  conversion 
and  sanctification,  instilled  into  their  minds; 
or  of  an  inheritance  in  the  heavens  secured  to 
many  souls: — to  say  nothing  of  all  this, 
Were  not  the  holy  life  and  triumphant  death 
of  Catharine  Brown,  an  ample  remuneration 
for  all  the  labours  and  expenditures  of  the 
mission  to  her  tribe? 


180  MEMOIR    OF 

Say,  ye  missionariesof  the  cross,  should  ye 
repent  of  your  self-denying  toils,  if  this  had 
proved  your  only  reward?  Say,  ye  churches 
of  the  Redeemer,  would  ye  re'cal  her  sainted 
spirit  from  the  skies,  if  what  ye  have  expend- 
ed for  her  nation  could  be  refunded?  A  thous- 
and worlds  would  not  be  worth  what  you 
have,  through  the  grace  of  God,  secured  to 
her,  as  is  humbly  believed,  in  the  regions  of 
the  blessed.  And  when  ye,  also,  stand  on  the 
heights  of  the  Zion  above,  and  behold  her 
ransomed  spirit  "filled  with  all  the  fulness  of 
God,"  and  exulting  amid  the  hosts  of  heaven, 
will  ye  have  any  regrets  for  the  sacrifices  it 
cost  you  to  send  the  Gospel  to  her  people? 

O  let  sloth  be  driven  away;  let  the  grasp  of 
avarice  be  loosened;  let  benevolence  assume 
the  dominion;  let  a  spirit  of  enterprise  be  kind- 
led; let  the  messengers  of  salvation  be  quickly 
sent  to  every  tribe  that  roams  the  western 
wilds. 

Then  "the  wilderness  and  the  solitary  place 
shall  be  glad  for  them,  and  the  desert  shall 
rejoice  and  blossom  as  the  rose." 

FINIS. 


